Presidential candidate, Constantinos Christofides on Friday, proposed a solution to water loss from dams by evaporation, which he claims would result in savings upwards of €20 million per year.

Total yearly water loss from dams, Christofides said, amounts to 20 to 25 million cubic metres and Kouris, the dam with the largest capacity in Cyprus, loses between 7 to 9 million cubic metres yearly. Continuing to desalinate seawater with conventionally generated electricity, Christofides added, will exacerbate water shortage problems.

In response to this, Christofides proposes building rafts (or platforms) in the middle of each dam, and installing photovoltaic parks on them, which will provide energy for large pumps which in turn will pump water from the bottom to the surface thereby reducing surface temperature and slowing evaporation. The improved oxygenation will have the added bonus of improving water quality.

Achieving even 50 per cent of this target would equate to a saving of 13 million cubic metres of water, in financial terms, €13 million per year, Christofides claimed. With mechanical fixes that amount would increase even more, he says.

Additionally, Christofides pointed out, during at least seven months of the year, when there is minimal evaporation, the photovoltaic platforms could be directly connected to the electricity grid to generate electricity for consumers.