Pafos Live 28 January 2026
The EOA Paphos is in consultations with the competent Ministry for the expansion of the capacity of the Desalination Unit in Kouklia with the aim of producing 25,000 to 30,000 cubic meters of water per day, which will be able to be implemented within six months if the political decision is made, as the president Charalambos Pittokpitis told KYPE. He also noted that the procedures are underway to identify a suitable site in the Gulf of Chrysochous, with the aim of installing a Mobile Desalination Unit with a capacity of at least 10,000 cubic meters of water per day.
In his statements to KYPE, Mr. Pittokopitis stated that "the last rains, although they do not solve the problem, give us a stigma of optimism and above all offer us time". Time, as he explained, both to the Provincial Self-Government Organizations and to the competent Ministry and the State in general, so that they can manage in a more organized way the difficult situation that has been created by the ongoing water shortage.
In this context, the Paphos EOA continues consultations with the competent Ministry, with the main goal of expanding the capacity of the Desalination Plant in Kouklia. According to Mr. Pittokopitis, "our goal is for the unit to reach a production of 25,000 to 30,000 cubic meters of water per day by the summer", an amount that is considered necessary to support the water balance of the low Paphos area.
Of particular importance, as he mentioned, is the fact that from the information that the EOA has from the contractor company that manages the unit, "the infrastructure is already in place to implement this expansion". What remains, according to him, is the immediate adoption of a political decision. "From the moment the decision is made, five to six months of work are required to be able to give us the additional quantities of water," he noted.
As Mr. Pittokopitis explained, the time dimension is crucial, as "if the decision is made now, in January, then in the middle of the summer we will have at our disposal the necessary quantities of water that the Paphos region needs". This is, as he stressed, a development that can prevent more serious effects on both the water supply and the overall water security of the province.
At the same time, the procedures are underway to identify a suitable site in the Gulf of Chrysochous, with the aim of installing a Mobile Desalination Unit with a capacity of at least 10,000 cubic meters of water per day. Mr. Pittokopitis said that this unit comes to further strengthen the water system of the area, offering additional flexibility in times of increased needs.
According to the President of EOA Paphos, the combination of the expansion of the unit in Kouklia and the creation of a new unit in Chrysochous Bay will have multiple benefits. "Corresponding quantities of water that are currently pumped from the dams for water supply purposes will be released," he said, explaining that these quantities will be able to be channelled to the primary sector. He made special reference to the difficulties faced by farmers in recent years, due to the large water cuts imposed by the Water Development Department. "The primary sector is suffering and needs substantial support," he underlined, noting that strengthening desalination can act as a breath of fresh air for agriculture.
In conclusion, Mr. Pittokopitis stressed that the management of the water problem is not exclusively the responsibility of the State or the competent authorities. "The water balance and the avoidance of cuts do not depend only on the Ministry, the Department of Water Development or the Provincial Self-Government Organizations," he said, adding that this is a collective responsibility. As he said, "consumers themselves must pay attention to the use of water", sending a clear message to avoid overconsumption and any form of waste. "A message that acquires special weight at a time when water is emerging as one of the most valuable natural resources of the country," he concluded.
