Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, is expanding its operations in Cyprus after signing a memorandum of understanding to develop and strengthen the water system in the Nicosia district. The new agreement focuses on reducing water loss in transmission and distribution networks, improving operational efficiency, and developing wastewater treatment infrastructure.
2+Israel is considered a world leader in wastewater reclamation for agricultural reuse, with a reclamation rate of around 80%. The experience accumulated in this field allows Mekorot to offer solutions based on efficient management of water resources and their reuse for agriculture. The memorandum was signed by Barak Gerber, head of Mekorot’s business unit, and Konstantinos Yiorkadjis, president of the EOA in the Nicosia district. EOA is the regional local government organization of Nicosia, responsible for water supply, sewage systems, development licensing, and waste management in the district. The signing ceremony was also attended by Iliana Tofa-Christidou, head of the desalination department, and Oren Anolik, Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus.
2+Mekorot notes that the company has been active in Cyprus’s water sector for nearly fifteen years. Mekorot Development and Initiation entered a partnership in the previous decade that established two desalination plants in Larnaca and Limassol. Together, the plants supply about 34 million cubic meters of water per year—a central component of water supply to the capital, Nicosia. The expansion of operations in Cyprus comes at a time when many countries are grappling with declining precipitation, prolonged droughts, population growth, and a sustained rise in water demand. “The experience Mekorot has accumulated over decades managing the water system of a country with a semi-arid climate enables it to offer countries around the world a wide range of tools and solutions. These include planning and management of national and regional water systems, desalination, wastewater treatment and reclamation, water loss reduction, reservoir and well management, remote monitoring, infrastructure protection, and integration of advanced technologies,” the company says.
2+The new activity in Cyprus joins projects and partnerships Mekorot has advanced in recent years as part of its international operations, including activity in Argentina in Latin America, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia, and Bahrain and Morocco. As part of this activity, Mekorot hosted delegations from India, Uruguay, and Honduras over the past month. Delegation members came to Israel to learn about the Israeli model for water management and explore opportunities for cooperation.
Moshe Shemoni, chairman of Mekorot’s board of directors, said: “The new agreement is another expression of the trust Mekorot has built in Cyprus and the growing global demand for Israeli knowledge in the water sector. Our experience managing a water system under conditions of scarcity, drought, and climate change allows us to offer practical solutions to countries facing climate constraints and the impacts of global warming. Mekorot will continue to expand its international activity and assist countries seeking to strengthen their water security and prepare for future challenges.”