Cyprus is overhauling its water pricing policy to ensure all users contribute to the cost of maintaining the island’s dwindling resources, with golf courses facing a total cutoff from dam water within months.
The Water Development Department (WDD) clarified that water can no longer be viewed as “granted and free.” Under a strategy launched in 2005, golf courses are being pushed toward full independence from dam reserves. By May 2026, the supply of water from state dams to these facilities will be permanently terminated.
Currently, several major courses have already transitioned to alternative sources. Minthis Hills, Elea Estate, and Limassol Greens rely on recycled or desalinated water. Two other major Paphos courses, Aphrodite Hills and Secret Valley, are in the final stages of detaching from the Asprokremmos dam.
Following the 2025 green tax reform, golf courses now pay significantly higher rates than other sectors. For those still using government water projects, fees jumped from €0.36 to €0.42 per cubic metre. Specifically, the “environmental and resource fee” for these facilities has quadrupled, rising from €0.02 to €0.08 per cubic metre.
In contrast, fees for agricultural use remain at the minimum possible level. Farmers using private boreholes pay just €0.01 per cubic metre, while those supplied by government projects pay €0.17 per cubic metre.
The WDD stressed that these charges are not a new response to recent droughts but stem from 2017 legislation aimed at protecting water tables.
«The application of the law must be universal. Cyprus risks European sanctions if it does not apply pricing policy equally,» department sources stated.
The department also addressed complaints regarding bills totalling thousands of euros, explaining that these high costs result from the massive volumes of water extracted from underground aquifers rather than excessive tariffs. While the regulations were passed in 2017, implementation for borehole users began in 2020 following the resolution of administrative and technical difficulties.
