Safe water in Cyprus: notices, drought and what to store

Short answer. The Water Development Department (WDD) describes Cyprus as a country plagued by frequent and prolonged droughts ². Civil Defence asks households to keep 3 litres of water per person per day in their emergency kit ¹. Phaenyx found no national page listing boil-water or do-not-drink notices in Cyprus: follow the instructions of your local water supplier and the authorities.

How do I know if my tap water is unsafe?

The WDD says every residential and industrial unit in Cyprus is connected to clean water that meets European standards ³. The State General Laboratory (SGL) tests drinking water under annual programmes designed with the Ministry of Health; when a problem is found, the Public Health Services, the WDD, the Water Boards, the Geological Survey Department and the communities are all involved ⁶. Test results are published by the Ministry of Health's Public Health Services with the SGL and on the National Open Data Portal; the SGL notes that the results alone do not show that drinking water is unsafe ⁶. Phaenyx found no national page that lists boil-water or do-not-drink notices. If you are told to boil water or not to drink it, follow the local instruction until it is lifted. Our Cyprus alerts page explains how official warnings reach you.

For what each kind of notice means in practice, read What to do during a boil-water notice and Do-not-drink notices. If the water stops altogether, see No running water.

How much water should I store?

3 litres per person per day: the Civil Defence family emergency plan lists "Water (3L per person per day)" among the items to keep ready ¹. The plan's kit covers three days, which is 9 litres per person. Full figures are on our Cyprus emergency supplies page; for storage, see How much water to store per person per day? and Water storage containers.

Is Cyprus short of water?

Yes, structurally. The WDD describes Cyprus as plagued by frequent and prolonged droughts and calls drought policy the most important part of its water policy ². Its drought management plans use a system of drought indices, set from historical hydrometeorological data, to detect a drought early and measure its intensity and duration ². The WDD also asks the public to be careful with water: "Use it. Don't abuse it." ³

In WRI's Aqueduct 4.0 model, the population-weighted median of Cypriot cities falls in the "extremely high" category for current water stress, stays "extremely high" in the 2050 business-as-usual projection, and is "medium" for drought risk ⁴. These are city medians: a given town can sit higher or lower.

The European Drought Observatory, run by the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, publishes drought maps and indicators covering Cyprus ⁵. For household steps, see Drought preparedness.

What if I have a private well?

No official Cypriot guidance for owners of private wells was found by Phaenyx. See Private well emergencies for general steps.

What should I do after a flood?

Do not assume tap or well water is safe until the authorities say so, and see Water safety after a flood. A household plan can keep your water stock, supplier contacts and warning channels in one place.

Frequently asked questions

How much water does Cyprus recommend per person?

3 litres per person per day, in a kit that covers three days ¹.

Is tap water in Cyprus safe to drink?

The WDD says every home is connected to clean water that meets European standards ³. Follow any local instruction to boil or not drink the water.

Where can I follow drought conditions?

The WDD runs drought indices for Cyprus ², and the European Drought Observatory publishes drought maps for Europe ⁵.