Water cuts are expected from May onwards as the submission deadline for tenders to create a mobile desalination plant in Peyia were on Tuesday extended by two weeks.

Local mayor Marinos Lambrou said this would mean the desalination plant would not be operable before November.

As a result, he said water supply cuts were expected from May onwards as the current amount of water supplied is only three quarters of the area’s needs.

Authorities are working to identify boreholes and springs that could operate a further supply of drinking water, Lambrou said.

He added that Akamas, as a popular tourist destination, will face additional challenges due to increased demand for drinking water during the busy summer season.

Meanwhile, work is underway at the Mavrokolympos dam, which was emptied earlier this year after a leak was identified, where efforts are focused on removing silt and implementing measures to secure its functionality for the next 50 years.

Since Mavrokolympo was drained of its approximately 1.3 million cubic metres of water fears about reduced water supplies have increased among residents and farmers in the area.