Water Protection and Management Law 13(I)/2004

Reduction and control of water pollution

The Water Protection and Management Law provides for the elimination or reduction and control of water pollution in Cyprus, for the best protection of natural water resources and the health and well being of the population. It also provides for the protection and improvement of the environment and the animal and plant life in water.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

The Government Waterworks Law (Cap 341)

Groundwater and Surface Waters

The law governs more than 98% of the natural water resources of the island and vests underground water and all surface water running to waste from any river, spring or water course and all other waste water to the State. The law also empowers the Council of Ministers to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain any waterworks for the purpose of taking or utilizing water, or replenishing an aquifer or land drainage or protecting land from floods, pollution, or erosion using if necessary compulsory purchase powers, and to sell water at a price calculated according to provisions of the law and the approval of the Parliament. It does not provide anything on drought but provisions of the law give power to the Government to deal under emergency situations including drought.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

Wells Law

(Cap 351)

Wells, Boreholes, Sunks

The basic law gives the power to the District Offices to issue permits for the sinking or constructing of wells or drilling of boreholes for the abstraction of ground water. This law was partly improved by the Water Supply (Special Measures) Law of 1964, which gave to the Government the power to declare and define special measure areas for groundwater protection against overexploitation.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

The Irrigation Division (Villages) Law

(Cap 342)

Irrigation Water

This law is administered by the respective District Officer who is empowered to form Irrigation Divisions, at his own instance or upon the written request of not less than 10 land proprietors, for the purpose of carrying out irrigation works. Under this law the water and the waterworks are linked to the land and not to the proprietors. This law is the third most important law and widely applied for the construction of minor irrigation schemes. The Government pronmotes the construction of simple, small irrigation projects through this law by providing subsidy to the capital costs and for the maintenance of works constructed under this law. Committees elected by the members of the Irrigation Division govern the irrigation Divisions.  The Committee is responsible for the construction, maintenance, operation and management of the irrigation scheme including the selling of water and collecting the bills. The selling price of water is fixed by the committee and approved by the Distric Officer.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

Water Supply (Special Measures)

Law (32/64, 35/65, 17/75)

Water shortage / deficiency

The law empowers the Council of Ministers to declare an area under control on the condition that due to exceptional circumstances a serious shortage or water deficiency exists or is likely to exist in the area, and that special measures for the conservation of water resources and maintenance of water supplies are necessary for the public interest. Under the Special Measures Law the Director of the WDD is empowered to refuse the issue of a permit for the sinking or construction of wells or drilling of boreholes for the abstraction of groundwater if such action is to affect qualitatively and quantitatively the groundwater. This is the second most important law dealing with the protection of the groundwater.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

The Irrigation (Private Water)  Association Law

(Cap 115)

Irrigation Water

The law gives the opportunity for at least 7 owners that have water rights to form an Association for the construction, improvement, maintenance or repair of any irrigation works related to their common water, including the selling of water and collecting the bills.The selling price of water is fixed by the committee and approved by the District Officer. The Government policy is not to promote the development of privately qwned water rights and for this purpose it limits the subsidy on such waterworks.  

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

The Water Supply (Municipal and Other Areas) Law

(Cap 350)

Drinking Water

The law provides for the establishment of Water Boards for the control and management of water supplies in municipal and other areas, under the chairmanship of the District Officer. The law allows the creation of semi-governmental organisations (Water Bords)  responsible for the development, treatment, distribution and selling of potable water within the boundaries of inhabited areas fixed by the Council of Ministers, for domestic and industrial purposes including tourism and recreational. The selling price of water is fixed by the Council of Ministers and approved by the Parliament.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

Water (Domestic Purposes) Villages Supplies Law

(Cap 349)

Drinking Water

The law provides for the establishment of Village Water Commissions for village water supply. A Village Commission is charged with providing adequate supply of pure and wholesome water for the domestic purposes of the village and to maintain such supply and any water works connected therewith in clean and good condition and repair. The District Officer administers this law, and all requests for studies and construction of water works are submitted to the WDD, which designs and implements the water projects. The responsibility for the management, operation and maintenance of the small schemes is with the village water commission headed by the District Officer.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

Public Rivers Protection law

(Cap 82)

Public Rivers

Under this law, certain offences may be prescribed in relation to rivers declared to be ‘public’ by the President by Order in Council. Such offences include break down or damaging any bank or wall of a river. Similarly by notice in the Gazette, the District Officer can prohibit certain acts, such as the removal of materials from the bed, bank or wall of a river, the dumping of rubble or waste in a river.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government

Sewage and Drainage Law

Sewage effrluent and drainage water

This law provides for the creation of Sewage Boards for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage effluent and drainage water (flood) from areas defined by the Council of Ministers as “Sewage and Drainage Law Areas”. The Sewage Boards are responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of all works required. The Board is responsible for the construction, maintenance, operation and management of the sewage schemes including the collection of the bills for the services offerd. He service cost charged to the beneficiaries is made up of two componenets, the fixed cost, which represents the capital cost and the variable costs, which represents the mainenace, operation, energy and management costs.

Official Gazette of the Cyprus Government