Paphos dam levels are significantly higher than during the same period last year, with Pomos currently the fullest of the district’s main reservoirs at 67.8% capacity.
Ayia Marina follows at 56%, while Argaka reservoir is 54.1% full, according to figures provided to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) by Alexios Frangeskou, executive engineer at the Water Development Department’s Irrigation Works Operation and Maintenance Service.
Among the district’s larger reservoirs, Kannaviou is at 44.7% capacity, Evretou at 41% and Asprokremmos at 37.6%.
Mavrokolympos currently has the lowest level among Paphos’s main reservoirs, at 34.2%.
43.3 million cubic metres stored in Paphos dams
A total of 43.3 million cubic metres of water is currently stored in Paphos’s main dams, Frangeskou said.
He said the improved Paphos dam levels were the result of favourable inflows recorded during the 2025-2026 hydrological year.
Despite the positive figures, water reserves continue to be managed cautiously. Based on current conditions, Frangeskou said there was no immediate threat to water supplies over the coming months, either for drinking water or irrigation.
Paphos does not rely exclusively on its reservoirs, with desalination plants and reclaimed water now playing an important role in meeting the district’s needs.
Water planning extended through 2028
The Water Development Department is following a multi-year plan extending to the end of 2028, aimed at maintaining sufficient reserves for drinking water and meeting approved irrigation requirements.
However, increased drinking water consumption during 2026 has had a negative impact on the district’s overall water balance despite the improved condition of its reservoirs.
Each year, approximately 7.6 million to 8.9 million cubic metres of water from Paphos reservoirs is supplied through Water Development Department systems for drinking water, while around 2.5 million cubic metres is allocated for irrigation.
Water reserves are managed with priority given to securing drinking water supplies, while irrigation allocations are adjusted according to available quantities and the needs of crops.
Prolonged drought changes water management
Frangeskou said the prolonged drought of recent years has made natural inflows into reservoirs less reliable and increased the need to use alternative water sources.
Reduced rainfall also limits both the replenishment of reservoirs and the natural recharge of underground aquifers.
As a result, the Water Development Department has shifted away from planning for the needs of a single year towards the multi-year management of water reserves.
The improved Paphos dam levels therefore provide greater security than a year ago, but authorities continue to manage supplies cautiously as drought and increased consumption place continuing pressure on the district’s water resources.
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