North Cyprus finds ‘largest ever’ groundwater source

The “largest ever” groundwater source found in north Cyprus was found in the foothills of Çatalköy in the Beşparmak Mountains.

According to the TRNC’s ‘environment ministry’, the groundwater source is 168 metres deep has a capacity of “80 tonnes of water per hour with safe extraction”, making it “the most productive water well ever dug in the Çatalköy region of the Kyrenia mountain range aquifer.”

The ‘ministry’ also praised the “uninterrupted and devoted work” of the engineers and technical staff from north Cyprus’s geology department.

The well was visited by ‘environment minister’ Fikri Ataoglu on Friday.

He said the water had been reached after seven years of work at the site, and described the source as “the richest water source discovered in the history of the TRNC”.

He added that Çatalköy region and its surrounding villages will be “relieved to a great extent” by the finding of the water.

The “next step”, he said, will be a similar project near Lapta, with the hope of finding a similar amount of water there.

The water found in Çatalköy region will now be analysed for its mineral content, with Ataoglu saying the results will be “quickly shared with the public”