Cyprus’s Audit Office urged immediate action to protect the country’s shrinking water reserves amid escalating climate pressures. It warned that poor management threatens long-term sustainability as Cyprus faces worsening droughts and erratic weather patterns. The Water Development Department (DWD), responsible for overseeing national water resources, plays a crucial role in securing supply during this crisis. However, the audit uncovered severe administrative and monitoring gaps that undermine the department’s ability to manage resources effectively.
Gaps in Monitoring and Accountability
Auditors discovered major flaws in water metering, billing, and control documentation. Two key intake points supplying 64 percent of Nicosia’s water received no regular inspections. The DWD lacked access to Limassol’s water meters and Larnaca’s telemetry system, creating uncertainty in billing accuracy. Officials ignored unexplained meter discrepancies, and reporting forms were often incomplete. The Water Billing System also showed weak cybersecurity and poor access controls, leaving data exposed. These failings make it difficult to ensure transparent and reliable monitoring of national consumption.
Weak Enforcement and Mounting Debts
The department recovered €147.7 million, including €69.2 million in old debts from Local Authorities, but new debts keep rising. Authorities wrote off older debts on the condition that local bodies pay future dues, yet compliance remains low. Turkish Cypriot consumers received €58.1 million worth of water that remains unbilled due to political directives. Legal actions to recover payments faced long delays, and some were never initiated. Over-pumping by private companies continues unchecked, endangering local reserves. Businesses were found overusing water without being charged, and key projects in Polis Chrysochous and Tilleria have stalled despite completed studies.
Urgent Call for Reform
The Audit Office demanded stronger oversight, faster decision-making, and long-term strategic planning from the Water Development Department. It urged authorities to replace reactive crisis management with a sustainable, data-driven approach. Cyprus must modernize its monitoring systems, enforce strict penalties for overuse, and develop comprehensive policies that secure water access for future generations.
