Desalination units to operate non-stop regardless of weather conditions, Minister says

From now on desalination units will operate continuously, regardless of weather conditions, in order to avoid pressure on water reservoirs and ensure water availability for irrigation, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, has said.

“Cyprus remains dependent on weather conditions. Drought cycles are becoming more frequent. This will end, or at least be significantly improved, with the completion of the 28 actions announced by the government, which are already underway,” she said in statements to the press on 2 February on the sidelines a festival in Arakapas, a village in Limassol district, emphasising that “this will be a difficult summer”.

She noted that the current target of the Water Development Department is to continue water supply to households by 100%, adding that since last year “we have been implementing cuts for irrigation”. As she explained, the Ministry is promoting the EU holistic approach on the issue.

When asked if farmers should expect further reductions in water for irrigation, she stated that “at the moment, we are already providing even less water than last year”, explaining that this year marks the second consecutive year of drought.

The reason for this, she added, is that until now, desalination units have been used whenever there was a need. "This stops now. Upon my instructions, this practice is coming to an end, because we cannot continue to put pressure on the reservoirs. Using desalination sporadically means we are taking water from the reservoirs to provide to farmers. This will stop. Desalination will now be used continuously, regardless of weather conditions, to meet our needs 100%, as we implement an action plan to ensure sufficient water quantities in the reservoirs,” she continued.

Regarding the availability of mobile desalination units before the summer, she noted that the tender for the mobile desalination unit for Paphos has already been published, while there is also a tender for other technologies “by which we invite the market to provide the necessary information so that we can proceed with further contracts that will meet this purpose".

“The state is doing its utmost, but cooperation from local authorities and citizens is also needed. We must stop using water wastefully, it is a precious resource, so we must stop wasting it,” she concluded.

(Source: CNA)