Cyprus is taking another serious step towards making the island’s water supply as independent as possible from the weather. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the construction of three new permanent desalination plants — in Dhekelia, Ayia Thekla and Polis Chrysochous.

The most powerful one will appear in Dhekelia and will be able to produce up to 80,000 cubic metres of water per day. The plant in Ayia Thekla is designed for 30,000 cubic metres, and the one in Polis Chrysochous — for 10,000 cubic metres daily. Implementation of the projects will begin after obtaining the necessary permits and licences.

At the same time, the construction of another permanent desalination plant in Eastern Limassol with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres of water per day has already been approved.

Thus, the four new facilities will be able to produce together up to 180,000 cubic metres of desalinated water daily. And this is no longer just a reaction to yet another dry year. The authorities are effectively revising the very model of Cyprus’s water supply.

The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to continue the implementation of the six-year desalination plan for 2025–2031 and has preliminarily approved a long-term strategy up to 2050. The main task is to gradually reduce the country’s dependence on precipitation and the water level in reservoirs.

The Water Development Department is also preparing a strategic study on the sustainability of desalination projects. One of the most interesting scenarios to be examined is whether Cyprus could in the future cover 100% of the country’s water supply needs with desalinated water.

If such an option proves economically, energetically and environmentally viable, it will be a fundamental change for the island. For decades Cyprus has lived looking over its shoulder at winter rains and reservoir levels. Now the state is considering a system in which the availability of water should depend much less on how rainy the winter turned out to be.

Final decisions on the long-term plan up to 2050 will be taken after the completion of the study.

Source: cyprus-mail
https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-gotovitsya-zhit-dozhdej-ostrove