Cyprus leads Europe on drinking water access but not on trust in tap water

Local climate crisisTop Newswater Cyprus leads Europe on drinking water access but not on trust in tap water Kid Filling Bottle With Water Relevant News Cyprus leads Europe on drinking water access but not on trust in tap water 2 August 2026 Fire crews tackle three Nicosia district blazes as huge plume of black smoke rises from Gerolakkos 1 August 2026 Israel kills two in Gaza and bombs hospital medicine warehouses as ceasefire deal stalls 1 August 2026 Xenia Tourki 2 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Can we turn on the tap and drink the water without fear? The answer is clear: water from the public network in Cyprus is safe for daily consumption. Even so, public distrust continues to partly fuel high bottled water consumption and the installation of filters in homes. Tap water in Cyprus is safe for daily consumption and undergoes systematic checks in line with strict national and European legislation, Socratis Metaxas, General Manager of Limassol DLGO, tells Phileleftheros in an interview, stressing that quality is monitored at every stage. However, despite the fact that 100% of the Cyprus population has access to safe drinking water, many still choose bottled water. Habit, taste, convenience and a lack of information all appear to sustain this distrust. Transparency in checks and direct communication with the public are seen as key to restoring trust in tap water. At the same time, climate change, prolonged dry spells and rising demand are making water security one of the biggest challenges facing Cyprus. Addressing it requires long-term planning, network modernisation, cutting losses, tapping alternative sources and, above all, a new culture of responsible water consumption. In several areas of Cyprus, there’s serious concern that supply pipes are old, or even that asbestos pipes are still in use. Is this true, and if so, to what extent? It’s natural for the public to be concerned about the age of water networks, since many were built several decades ago. Old pipes do still exist in some areas. For its part, Limassol DLGO runs an ongoing programme to upgrade and replace water supply networks. Replacing old pipes isn’t only about modernisation. It’s also about improving network reliability, reducing faults, significantly cutting water losses and better managing a valuable natural resource. When it comes to drinking water safety, what the public needs to understand is that water quality isn’t judged solely on the age or material of a pipe, but on a range of parameters. Regarding asbestos pipes specifically, according to the World Health Organization, the documented risk from asbestos relates mainly to inhaling fibres, not to consuming drinking water that has passed through such pipes. Even so, as happens internationally, old pipes, including asbestos ones, are being gradually replaced as part of the modernisation of water networks. New projects now use materials that meet current European requirements for use in drinking water networks, since the new Directive 2020/2184 places particular emphasis on materials that come into contact with drinking water. What are the differences between bottled water and tap water? Which do you think is preferable? I wouldn’t say they’re two competing products. Bottled water and tap water meet different needs. Bottled water, for example, serves cases where there’s no direct access to a water network, such as while travelling, or on the beach for visiting tourists. But there are important differences between tap water and bottled water relating to origin, method of distribution, method of inspection, packaging and availability. Their key difference is that tap water is continuously checked throughout its entire journey until it reaches the consumer safely, and it’s immediately available, without the need for packaging or transport. Generally, both tap water and bottled water are governed by strict but different legislation, which also requires different methods of monitoring. I want to stress that when tap water is supplied through a public network that meets legislative requirements, it’s a safe, reliable and highly practical choice for daily consumption. According to the EU, Cyprus ranks first for access to drinking water. Why, then, do we see such high consumption of bottled water at the same time? Cyprus is indeed among the countries with the highest access to safe drinking water through the public network in Europe. Specifically, 100% of the population has access to drinking water, a result of significant investment made over time in water infrastructure. On the other hand, choosing to drink bottled water doesn’t mean this is related to the safety or quality of network water, but mainly to other factors, such as taste, convenience, habit, tourism activity, and consumer perceptions of bottled water. This doesn’t change the fact that public network water is subject to strict checks and meets European and national legislative requirements for drinking water. Therefore, high bottled water consumption in Cyprus shouldn’t be seen as a sign that tap water is unsafe. Is there a way to reduce distrust in drinking water and get the public to start preferring it, for example at home or in restaurants? I believe so. Strengthening trust in tap water rests on service quality as well as transparency and open communication with the public. People should be able to easily find out about inspection results and be aware of the significant investments made in modernising networks and regularly monitoring water quality. The more transparency there is, the more consumer trust is strengthened. At the same time, we need to cultivate a different culture around tap water in Cyprus. In many European countries, it’s completely normal to ask for tap water in a restaurant or fill a bottle from a public fountain. This isn’t just a matter of trust, but also of environmental awareness and reducing plastic waste, Metaxas stresses. With infrastructure modernisation, continued checks and easy public access to analysis results, tap water can become established as the natural choice for daily consumption, both at home and in restaurants. Many people have installed water filters in their homes and premises. Do these filters affect water quality, and if so, how? Water supplied through the public network meets legislative requirements and is safe for consumption. Installing a filter can therefore be a personal choice for reasons of taste or other characteristics, but it isn’t a precondition for the safety of water supplied through the public network that meets legislative requirements. If someone chooses to use a filter, correct installation, regular maintenance and timely replacement are essential to ensure it functions safely. A filter that isn’t properly maintained can, in some cases, encourage the growth of microorganisms or degrade water quality, while a filter that isn’t replaced in time can lose its effectiveness. If we continue at today’s rate of consumption, combined with the effects of climate change, what will Cyprus’s drinking water situation look like in the coming years? Climate change is no longer a future scenario. It’s already a reality for Cyprus. Longer dry spells and higher temperatures are placing growing pressure on available water resources and making them harder to manage. At the same time, its effects are already being strongly felt across Europe. According to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), in 2021 and 2022 alone, extreme water-related events, such as heatwaves and floods, caused damage exceeding €80 billion across Europe. This data shows that adapting to climate change and strengthening the resilience of water systems is now a necessity, not an option. At the same time, population growth, tourism and economic development are driving greater demand for water. The answer to this challenge isn’t a single solution. It requires an integrated strategy that combines managing both supply and demand. On one hand, further use of alternative water sources is needed, such as desalination and reuse of treated water, along with protecting groundwater aquifers and surface water resources. On the other hand, we need to curb demand by reducing network losses, saving water in households and businesses, and making wider use of recycled water for irrigating green spaces, sports pitches and other uses that don’t require drinking water. Cyprus’s water security will depend on long-term planning and a balance between development and available water resources. The biggest challenge of the coming years won’t just be securing more water, but making the best possible use of what we already have. Cyprus has the know-how and the infrastructure to meet the challenges of climate change. Ensuring quality through checks What does safe drinking water mean? How high is the quality of drinking water in Cyprus? If I turn on the tap anywhere on the island, can I drink the running water without fear? Safe drinking water is water that can be consumed daily without endangering human health. To be considered safe, it must meet strict microbiological, chemical and physicochemical standards set by European and Cypriot legislation. Safe drinking water doesn’t contain microorganisms or chemical substances above permitted limits and meets all national and European legislative requirements for water intended for human consumption. Official monitoring of drinking water quality in Cyprus is carried out by the competent state authorities: the Health Services of the Ministry of Health and the State General Laboratory. Operational monitoring of the water supply network, meanwhile, is carried out by the providers: the Water Development Department, the District Local Government Organisations (DLGOs) and independent local authorities (community councils). Limassol DLGO, for example, is responsible for operating and maintaining the water supply network, distributing water and monitoring its quality within the distribution network, based on predetermined sampling and laboratory testing programmes at multiple points across the network throughout the year, in line with legislative requirements. It should be stressed, however, that legislation covers water quality up to the point of delivery. Quality can be affected by the condition of private installations, such as internal plumbing, tanks and water storage units, and their inadequate maintenance. How is water quality checked and ensured on a daily basis? Does this happen in all areas, even the most remote? Ensuring the quality of drinking water is a continuous process that begins with water production, moves through distribution, ongoing monitoring, official inspection and emergency response, and is only complete when the water reaches the consumer’s tap, even in the most remote areas. As for water production and treatment, the Water Development Department runs a monitoring programme to check the quality of the final treated water from all Water Treatment Plants and Desalination Units, in cooperation with the District Local Government Organisations. In addition, as part of the national monitoring programme, the Health Services of the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the State General Laboratory, carry out independent checks across Cyprus. Limassol DLGO also systematically monitors water quality within the distribution network. At the same time, ongoing maintenance is carried out and, where necessary, sections of the water supply network are replaced. It should be stressed that drinking water quality isn’t based on laboratory analysis alone, but depends on a comprehensive assurance system involving continuous checks, ongoing monitoring of facility operations, scheduled sampling and immediate response to any deviations. What substances, microorganisms or anything else in the water could pose a risk to public health? Drinking water is systematically checked against legislative requirements, both chemically and microbiologically, ensuring that the water distributed remains within legal limits and is safe for human consumption. Let’s look at what checks are carried out. First, microbiological testing of drinking water aims to provide clean, healthy water free of microorganisms in numbers and concentrations that pose a risk to human health, while also meeting the requirements of the Water Intended for Human Consumption Law N.46(Ι)/2023. Indicative test parameters include Total coliforms, E. coli and Enterococci. Second, chemical testing covers a broad range of parameters that is constantly expanded, such as metals and heavy metals, pesticides, PFAS, disinfection by-products and others. Detecting a substance doesn’t necessarily mean the water is unsafe. Assessment is based on the parametric values set out in legislation. Third, there’s also testing of physical parameters such as turbidity, colour and odour, and it should be clarified that a difference in taste or smell doesn’t necessarily mean the water is unsafe. Concern over microplastics Studies show that microplastics are everywhere. What’s the situation with drinking water? Does the public have reason to be concerned? Microplastics are a subject of ongoing concern and research for the international scientific community, not only in drinking water but in the environment as a whole. According to data from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), around 325,000 tonnes of plastic end up in the Mediterranean Sea every year, highlighting the scale of the challenge for marine and water ecosystems. Microplastics have been detected in various environmental media, including water. Scientific understanding of their potential effects on human health is still evolving, and to date there isn’t sufficient evidence to demonstrate a public health risk, specifically at the concentrations that have been studied in drinking water. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Fire crews tackle three Nicosia district blazes as huge plume of black smoke rises from Gerolakkos Israel kills two in Gaza and bombs hospital medicine warehouses as ceasefire deal stalls Fire crews tackle spate of wildfires along Prodromi to Arodes road as arson suspected Burning vehicle on Avgorou dirt road belongs to elderly British national Police keep all options open after charred body found outside burning car in Avgorou Cyprus investigator defends ‘waffling’ description in presidential video probe Charred body found inside burning car on Avgorou dirt road Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.