With concern, experts are watching the distribution of water in all areas of Cyprus, while the level in the dams remains below average due to the reduced rainfall this year, with the authorities announcing that attention is mainly directed to the rural communities , which, as can be seen, may face water supply problems in the summer.
It is noted that, today, the amount of water stored in the dams is at 46.1% and at 133,984 million cubic meters of water, while compared to the corresponding period last year, the stored quantity was much higher, reaching 69%, i.e. 200,573 million cubic meters of water.
As a result of this reduction in water inflow that has been observed in recent months, the desalination units are being activated, from which the largest percentage of water is mainly distributed to households. According to the director of the Nicosia Water Supply Council, Constantinos Parmaklis, “due to the tragic reduction of water in the dams, we will be served more and more by the desalination units, of which there are five in our country. Nicosia is already 80% water supplied by desalination plants, however, we do not want to imagine in any case what will happen if a desalination plant stops working for any reason”.
The water supply of the capital is characterized as a complex puzzle by the experts, because it depends mainly on the desalination units, as well as on the cost of its use. As Mr. Parmaklis explained, “the Government has not yet studied how these desalination units will work with non-conventional energy. However, if the cost of electricity is increased and the environmental tax from the Department of Water Development is added to the water supply, then this environmental tax can be horizontally passed on to the public. So the public is essentially being asked to reduce wastage, because by reducing wastage, it also reduces the bimonthly bill, bearing in mind that the cost of drinking water may increase.”
The main concern of both consumers and authorities is the possible water cuts during the summer months, where, as is known, there is a drought and a particularly increased use of water. For the urban fabric of the capital, Mr. Parmaklis, estimates that there is no question of stopping the water supply, as long as the desalination units are operating normally. What worries the authorities, however, are the rural communities, which are supplied with water only from dams or only from boreholes. “If that water dries up or is deemed unsuitable, there will be a problem with water supply to these rural communities,” added the director of the Water Supply Board.
However, the cuts that took place last year in the coastal cities of the free province of Famagusta could not go unnoticed, since the demand for water was high. “What we have seen last year is that during the summer season of July and August, the tourist resorts of Ayia Napa and Protaras were left without water due to increased demand and it is noted that these areas are also supplied with water from desalination plants. For this reason, people are always called to limit reckless use”, said Mr. Parmaklis.
The new era with the installation of smart water meters< /b>
At the same time, consumers are expected to enter a new era, since water meters will now be transformed into smart ones, with the aim of better and more efficient control by the Water Supply and, at the same time, more water savings.
According to Mr. Parmaklis, the smart water meters are smart systems that are going to remotely send the water measurement, based on the settings made to them. The information obtained through smart water meters, said the director of the Water Supply Board, “is very important to understand how we should manage the water supply network. We can also instantly tell which home may be leaking within its block and notify each consumer electronically of a leaking problem that exists.”
For example, in large blocks where there are apartment buildings or hotels and there are too many areas where water is used, through the smart water meters, any leaks will be detected and repaired immediately. “In this way, the wastage of water will be effectively reduced, something that used to be blind since we could not find where there were leaks,” explained Mr. Parmaklis.
Noted that, the strategic goal that has been set, is within a period of five to ten years to have a holistic change of all water meters corresponding to 200,000 water meters, whether they are located in residential accommodation, whether they are in industrial or livestock zones and in shopping centers .
