The Mavrokolympos reservoir is to be fully drained of its 1.4 million cubic metres of water over the coming days to allow access to a corroded vent – the only available option due to the way the dam has been built.
Agriculture ministry permanent secretary Andreas Gregoriou told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Tuesday that the problem’s root cause was the corroded vent, and that “there does not seem to be a feasible solution because the construction characteristics do not allow for any intervention.”
Experts have said the pipes installed in 1966 would have to be replaced.
Later on Tuesday, he told CNA that the last effort made to fix the dam without having to drain it had been unsuccessful, saying some attempts had been made but that they had ended “unfortunately without result”.
“Although we knew with the last effort that it would be very difficult, we did try,” he added, saying that the reservoir would have to be completely emptied before further attempts can be made to repair the damage.
The leak caused by the fault is estimated at five cubic metres per second, or 450,000 a day.
Paphos district governor Charalambos Pittokopitis said earlier in the day that the damage to Mavrokolympos dam and the subsequent loss of water worsened the already difficult water situation in the district.
Meanwhile, at the House agriculture committee, Akel MP Valentinos Fakontis expressed “strong concern” over the dam, explaining that much of the water would have been used for agricultural purposes, and that as such, with the water now flowing outwards, “the impact on the sector will be enormous”.
For this reason, he called on the agriculture ministry to “implement actions as soon as possible”.
Pittokopitis said things would be tough for Paphos if the water was lost, given the recent destruction of the only desalination plant in the area in a fire.
This, coupled with the drought, made things worse both for domestic and irrigation needs, he said.
Pittokopitis added it was necessary to expedite procedures to bring mobile desalination plants to Paphos, one for Akamas and one for Polis Chrysochous.
Specialists had visited Mavrokolympos on Monday to find the cause of the leak and determine the safety of the dam.
The water development department said the water supply for irrigation was continuing according to the schedule. It also called on the public to avoid visiting the area.
Roads around the area have been closed, and local authorities, including the police and civil defence, have been working to contain any potential hazards.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou had said during a visit to the site on Monday that the issue of dam safety has been a top priority since she took office.
She revealed that the dam safety unit, which she said had been previously understaffed, has been reinforced with a team of five professionals since March 2024, and further recruitment efforts are underway.
Cyprus, Panayiotou pointed out, has one of the highest numbers of dams per capita in the world.
“Given this, the current staffing levels are insufficient, and we are actively working to expand the team to ensure the safety and proper management of these critical resources.”
Panayiotou also highlighted the broader issue of water scarcity, particularly following two years of severe drought. The government’s 28-action programme, which aims to address water shortages, was recently updated and will play a key role in mitigating future crises.
She urged both the public and authorities to remain vigilant, warning that Cyprus faces a challenging summer ahead in terms of water management.
“Water conservation remains critical. We must all do our part, from the government down to every individual,” she said.
“We are working collectively to ensure we can meet the challenges of this summer.”
The Mavrokolympos reservoir has a capacity of 2.18 million cubic metres, diverted from the Mavrokolympos River. The dam was constructed in 1966 to serve banana plantations in and around the villages of Kissonerga and Peyia.
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