Cyprus Faces Water Shortage: "We Only Have 11 Months of Supply Left"

Cyprus is facing its most serious water problem in history. According to Dimitris Eliades, an expert from the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence at the University of Cyprus, at current consumption levels, the country will have enough drinking water for approximately 11 months in 2026.

In 2025, water supply required 114 million cubic meters — about 310 liters per person per day. The currently available volume is approximately 103.5 million cubic meters (about 280 liters per person), which is sufficient for only 11 months. This means the country is short of about one month's worth of water resources.

A 10% reduction in consumption is considered the "golden mean":

• it will help avoid harsh water cuts,
• it will bring Cyprus closer to European efficiency standards,
• it will give the state time to develop infrastructure.

According to experts, the average resident of Cyprus uses about 140 liters of water a day at home, while about 100 liters is sufficient for a comfortable life (according to WHO standards). The European average is 124 liters.

A 10% reduction is possible without reducing quality of life. For example:

• shorten shower time by 2 minutes,
• reduce water pressure,
• water the garden less frequently,
• fix leaks.

During a shower, up to 10 liters of water per minute are consumed — in 10 minutes, that is already 100 liters.

The experience of 2008–2009 showed that water cuts led to a 100% increase in network accidents and a 55% increase in water loss due to pressure drops and pipe damage.

The "Stagona-metró" initiative allows citizens to calculate their water consumption and receive personal recommendations. The goal is to bring consumption down to 125 liters per person per day.

The expert emphasizes: it is not about the fear of "Day Zero," but about smart demand management. Cyprus is not yet on the brink of zeroing out its reserves thanks to desalination plants, but the system is working at its limit.