The European Commission organised an event on 5 February to mark the commencement of the EU funded project for the "Construction of an Irrigation System for the Reuse of Morphou/Güzelyurt Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Treated Wastewater.” The €2.14 million works contract and €0.5 million services contract were signed in December 2018.

This project will utilise the treated wastewater from the WWTP in Morphou/Guzelyurt by construction of a water reservoir and an irrigation water distribution system. This will facilitate the safe reuse of 500 million litres per year of high-quality water to irrigate the local crops.  Currently, the local farmers utilise groundwater for irrigation but due to climate change and falling groundwater levels, the water has become increasingly salty making it less beneficial for agricultural irrigation.

Through this project, the European Commission aims to raise awareness about the benefits of reusing treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation. 

The potential role of treated wastewater reuse as an alternative source of water supply is now well acknowledged and embedded within international, European and national strategies.

As part of the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, several water and wastewater projects have been implemented including the construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to serve the Morphou/Güzelyurt area.  The plant was commissioned in 2012 and is fully operational and in use by the local communities.