The Water Development Department said on Wednesday that February’s rainfall, with that expected in March and April would be enough to satisfy needs for two years.
The amount of water that poured into the dams during February reached about 44.5 million cubic metres, which was the highest recorded rainfall for that month in the last 20 years and constituted about half of the rainfall for this entire winter season.
Andreas Manoli, director of the water development department, told the Cyprus Mail: “If 30 million cubic metres more is collected by the end of the season in March and April, there will be enough for two more years.”
Last year the amount stored in the reservoirs was low enough to cause fears of a new drought, the year’s totals being the lowest seen in the last decade.
The report released by the department shows annual totals for the last ten years and the annual overflow rates for individual dams.
So far, the inflow rate to the reservoirs is significantly higher than the entirety of last year, with this year’s total at 87.8 million cubic metres from last year’s 12.3 million cubic metres.
The dams in Chrysochou, Argaka and Pomos, and in Nicosia, Xyliatos and Kalopanagiotis are reporting overflows. The reservoir in Chrysochou has a capacity of 18 million cubic metres and is now holding 20 million cubic metres. The amount stored in the reservoirs in the Nicosia district is about one million cubic metres more than capacity.
The desalination systems will also be operating as per usual in congruence with this record-breaking rainfall in February, which in turn should be able to provide more water for the island and its farmers, Manoli said.