The water development department on Wednesday urged the public to use water responsibly amid the ongoing heatwave.

“The efficient use of water will contribute significantly to preserving the scarce water reserves in our reservoirs, where the inflow is negligible due to the ongoing drought,” it said.

It added that with the heatwave ongoing, the use of water to wash roads, footpaths, verandas, or cars is prohibited.

It said it is currently implementing an “action plan” to address water scarcity, but stressed that “saving water and rational use on the part of the public remain decisive in ensuring the adequacy of the water supply”.

This, it added, will “protect it for current and future generations”.

Cyprus’ reservoirs are, according to the water development department’s latest statistics, only 16.3 per cent full, with only 47 million cubic metres of water in the reservoirs. That figure is less than half of the number recorded a year ago, when the reservoirs were 34.4 per cent full.

Broken down by area, those linked to the southern conveyor are now just 16.6 per cent full, compared to a figure of 31.7 per cent recorded a year ago.

Reservoirs in the Polis Chrysochous area are faring the best, though even they are only 17. per cent full, having been 37.8 per cent full this time last year.

Meanwhile, reservoirs in the Paphos area are just 15.7 per cent full, having been the fullest of any region, at 40.7 per cent, a year ago. The Mavrokolympos reservoir remains entirely empty after having been drained to allow access to a corroded vent in January.

The Nicosia district is facing the biggest shortage, however, with its reservoirs just 7.5 per cent full, having been 23.3 per cent full a year ago.

In particular, the Vyzakia reservoir, one of the three which feed the capital, has just 11,000 cubic metres of water in it and is as such just 0.7 per cent full. This time last year, there was more than 20 times more water in that reservoir alone.