Toxic substances may potentially affect the water bodies which are subjected to pressures from:

• Intensive industrial activities,
• Waste disposal sites,
• Mines (abandoned or active), and
• Storm water discharges near the large cities and in industrial areas.

The size of industries in Cyprus, according to their production rate and consequently to their wastewater flow rate, is rather small to moderate, when compared to the size of corresponding industries in most European countries. Nevertheless, a large number of small or medium size industries are spread all over the country. As can be expected, most of them are developed in areas near major cities, Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Pafos.

Another potential source that could cause pollution of surface waters and is mainly related to the presence of heavy metals (e.g. Fe, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ni), are the mines (either abandoned or in operation spread all over the island). These are located at Skouriotissa (sub-catchment 3-3-4), the Kato and Ano Amiandos villages (sub-cathment 9-6-3), Kalavasos (sub-catchment 8-9-7), Sia and Mathiatis (sub-catchment 8-4-1), Kapedes (sub-catchment 6-5-2), Agrokipia (sub-catchment 3-7-2), sub-catchment 3-3-1, sub-catchment 3-5-4 and sub-catchment 2-3-4. Those dump accumulations areas are drained by a deep stream flowing first into Trimiklini dam and finally in Kouris dam reservoir. The main water quality problems of water bodies receiving those effluents and drains are related to acidity, heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ni), high salinity and high chemical oxygen demand, which reduce concentrations of dissolved oxygen.

With respect to solid waste, current practice involves mostly uncontrolled or in some cases semi-controlled dumping of municipal solid wastes in more than 80 waste disposal sites spread over the country. The waste disposal sites can contribute to the pollution of surface waters, although the pressure is more significant to groundwater. In cases where the waste disposal sites are close to surface water bodies the impact is increased. The water bodies potentially at risk are located to watersheds of Chapotami (1-1), Diarizos (1-2), Xeros (1-3, 2-4, 3-6, 8-6), Chrysochou (2-2), Kochina 2-5), Serahis (3-7),Gialias (6-5), Ammochostos (7-1), Liopetri (7-2), Tremithos (8-4), Germasogeia (9-2), Garilis (9-4), Kouris (9-6), Avdimou (9-8).

Storm water discharges may also have a significant influence to the surface water quality near the large cities, Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Pafos, the industrial areas of each watershed and the national airport of Larnaca. The water bodies under pressure are located to the sub-basins 6-1-2, 8-3-2,, and 9-4-4.

In Cyprus the EC Directive 76/464 related to the protection of the aquatic environment from the discharge of dangerous substances is in force, as well as the daughter directives, which specify water quality objectives for dangerous compounds (e.g. lead, cadmium, hexachlorobenzene), which have to be eliminated in the future.

Based on both the analysis of pressures and monitoring data , only some rivers can be considered at the risk (no dams/lakes or coastal waters) of failing the objectives of the WFD due to the presence of toxic substances.