Water Development Department

Water allocation

Water shortage in Cyprus increases the requirement for a continuous assessment of the water balance and the optimum allocation of the available water resources for all uses. Within the framework of the implementation of measures for the management of demand, so as to achieve the best possible fulfilment of requirements for various uses, water allocation scenarios from Government Water Projects are prepared and implemented each year, as follows:

-During the year both ground and surface water resources are systematically monitored and assessed.
-The water flow to the dams as well as the quantities of water channelled for various uses are daily monitored. Based on the assessment of water reserves at the dams at the end of the rainfall period and taking into account the available quantities of desalinised water and recycled water, assessments are made about the water quantities that may be made available for water supply (drinking water from water treatment plants and desalinations) and for irrigation (untreated water from the dams and recycled water). Subsequently, taking into account the water requirements of the various uses, the annual water allocation from Government Water works scenarios are prepared and established.
-The basic principle for the preparation of the scenarios is the full satisfaction of the water supply requirements (drinking water to households and other uses) and the disposal of some quantities for ecological supply downstream the dams.
-The rest of the quantities are allocated for irrigation. However, given that there aren’t usually adequate quantities to fulfil all water requirements for irrigation, water is allocated depending on the available quantities and the requirements of each area, with a priority order as to cultivations served in each area. Generally, water is allocated, by priority order- to lawful cultivations, greenhouses, seasonal ones and finally, green areas.
It is worth noting that the satisfaction of irrigation requirements from the recycled water distribution networks is relatively stable, given that the production of this water is reliable or even rising.
-The scenarios are submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment to the competent Water Management Advisory Committee (WMAC) in which participate the organised water users, interested organisations and professional bodies and the competent Government Services, in accordance with the Integrated Management of Water Law.
-The scenarios are then submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval.


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