Cyprus will start importing water from Greece next week to help ease a drought, officials said Thursday.

Agriculture Minister Andreas Polynikis said Greece has agreed to sell 8 million cubic meters (282.5 million cubic feet) of water to Cyprus. He provided no financial details.

A dry winter has reduced Cyprus' water reserves in the island's dams to 7.5 percent of capacity - a third of last year's amount. In March, authorities imposed household water supply cuts.

"We will have the capability to transport 50,000 cubic meters (1.76 million cubic feet) daily" from Greece, Polynikis said. The first tanker shipment will arrive Monday.

The Mediterranean island has been divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north since 1974.

The south needs 66.7 million cubic meters (2.35 billion cubic feet) of water a year to cover its needs, Polynikis said. It now relies almost exclusively on its two desalination plants, which have a combined daily output of 92,000 cubic meters (3.2 million cubic feet).

The problem is also acute in the Turkish Cypriot north, where officials have said they are considering importing water from Turkey.