To the Recovery Fund the drainage of the southern part of Kythera with a budget of €27.000.000

Good evening, everyone, and happy birthday!

Thank you all for being here today.

I have invited you here today to officially announce some important news regarding our development, which we have known since the morning of Holy Thursday.

By decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas, the major sewerage project for the southern part of Kythira, «Greece 2.0,» with a total eligible budget of over 27,000,000€. This is the largest amount of funding our municipality has received since its establishment, as well as the largest project in terms of scope and complexity undertaken on our island in recent decades. A total of 51 local governments applied for this funding call from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and our municipality received the second-largest grant in the call, among municipalities that are very large in terms of area and population, and even entire regions.

With this project, the enormous problem of liquid wastewater disposal in the southern part of Kythira is definitively resolved, and at the same time, a large-scale infrastructure is created that has the capacity to receive wastewater from additional settlements, which were not included in the current phase of funding, primarily due to cost considerations.

I don’t think anyone needs to go to great lengths to argue the importance of this project. It is a project of high environmental value, providing substantial protection for the natural environment and, of course, truly sustainable development, since this kind of infrastructure must be in place and, in fact, must take precedence over any plans to extend the tourist season or increase visitor numbers. This is because there are many negative examples of tourist destinations that failed to prioritize this infrastructure, with the result that they now face major management problems regarding both liquid and solid waste, as well as the carrying capacity of all their infrastructure. Fortunately, Kythira is not such a negative example, but quite the opposite.

Our Municipal Authority, from the very moment it took over the administration of our municipality, in September 2014, has consciously chosen to promote projects that would ensure the smooth development of tourism, while respecting the environment and aiming to expand the island’s capacity to accommodate more tourists over a longer period, beyond the peak summer months. We have therefore decided to focus on the following areas:

1. Solid Waste Management
2. Water Resources Management
3. Wastewater Management
4. Improvement of road infrastructure and other infrastructure

These four key infrastructure pillars constitute the first and most important prerequisite for a region that invests in tourism, not as a temporary or opportunistic activity for quick profits, but as an immersive experience available 12 months a year.

As the municipal government, we are proud that, in just a few years—which is a short time by Greek standards—we have managed to carry out significant projects in these areas: modern waste management with new equipment and, pending approval, substantial new funding for the second phase of the landfill, numerous water supply projects across the island that are continuing at a steady pace, road networks leading to popular beaches and points of interest, infrastructure for urban renewal and street lighting, projects to repurpose significant municipal properties for cultural use. And with recent funding, sewer projects and the upgrade of the Kapsali Wastewater Treatment Plant. These are just a few of the projects that make our island a sustainable tourist destination, expanding and improving the capacity of its infrastructure for decades to come.

The project «Sewer System for the Southern Part of the Island of Kythira,» with total funding of €27,107,727.67 from the Recovery Fund, includes the following subprojects:

1. «Sewer Systems.».

Plans call for the construction of 40 kilometers of sewer networks that will connect the following settlements to the Kapsali Wastewater Treatment Plant: Mylopotamos (Ano and Kato), Karvounades, Kontolianika, Tsikalaria, Fatsadika, Livadi, Kato Livadi, Katouni, Travasarianika, Alexandrades, Goudianika, Kalamos, Stavros Kapsaliou, as well as the western part of Chora (Varipatianika, Estavromenos, Cemetery). This includes the construction of nine pumping stations as well as a double-chambered sewage tank reception pit on the depot grounds in order to permanently resolve the problem of uncontrolled sewage disposalsewage.

2. «Upgrading, expansion, and modernization of the Kapsali Wastewater Treatment Plant on Kythira and reuse of treated water.».

Plans call for the upgrade and modernization of the Kapsali Wastewater Treatment Plant from a Class II facility—which it currently is—to a Class III facility, through the construction of new, state-of-the-art systems for pretreatment, biological treatment, disinfection, energy recovery, etc.

3. «Supply, installation, and commissioning of a photovoltaic park with a total capacity of 499.62KW for virtual energy offsetting (Virtual Net Metering) for the Municipality of Kythira.».

Plans call for the construction of a 499.62 photovoltaic parkKW at the Municipal Depot (Fratzia) with the aim of offsetting the energy costs associated with the operation of the biological treatment plant and the sewer networks and systems in the southern part of Kythira. The project is pioneering as it aligns with national energy-saving policies, while at the same time demonstrating in practice the Municipal Authority’s commitment to sustainable energy.

4. «Telemetry – Remote Control of Kythira's Sewer Pumping Stations.».

A comprehensive telemetry and remote control system is planned for the sewage pumping stations to be built in the southern part of Kythira, so that the sewer system can operate in a modern manner without the need to hire new staff.

In accordance with the law, the project also includes four supporting subprojects to cover any costs that may arise during the implementation of the project for the Management of Excavation Waste, Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW), for archaeological work and the relocation of public utility networks, as well as technical support for the project’s implementation.

The pipe cross-sections have been designed so that, in the future, they can accommodate wastewater from settlements that could not be included in the current phase, namely: Fratsia, Dokana, Pitsinianika, Kalisperianika, Keramoto, Kalokairines, Drymonas, Stathianika, Agios Ilias, and the internal network of Kalamos. The study to connect these settlements to the sewer system will begin as soon as possible.

This specific project is included in and also provided for in the Kythira Wastewater Management Operational Plan (Master Plan) that we prepared a few years ago and which, despite the unfair criticism it received in 2019, is now proving to be a valuable tool, as its existence contributed significantly to the approval of this major funding package.

The planning and development process for this project was extensive. It was undertaken entirely by our Municipality’s Technical Department in collaboration with the Regional Department of Technical Support for Island Municipalities and lasted nearly four years. We worked quietly, without fanfare, holding meeting after meeting, as this project is extremely challenging due to the geomorphology of our island, which requires numerous pumping stations in strategic locations, to ensure the smooth operation of the networks. The studies were completed in March 2022, and the arduous process of obtaining permits began immediately. Until the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was issued, approvals from nearly 20 government agencies were required. Throughout this process, we found allies whom I would like to mention and thank publicly: the political leadership of the Ministry of Culture (Minister Ms. Mendoni and Secretary General Mr. Didaskalos), the Head of the Piraeus Ephorate of Antiquities, Ms. Chrysoulaki, the new Head, Ms. Simosi, and the agency’s staff, the Deputy Minister of Shipping, Mr. Katsafados, the Forest Service and the Piraeus Forestry Directorate, particularly the new Forest Service Director, Mr. Karpouzas; officials from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, led by the relevant Secretary General, Mr. Grafakos; Regional Governor Mr. Patoulis and all the officials of the Islands Sub-Region and the Department of Technical Support for Island Municipalities, our Technical Advisors who handled the demanding process of submitting and supporting the proposal to the Recovery Fund. I would especially like to thank Surveyor George Syrmalis and Yiannis Kalligeros (Plastis) for their significant contributions. All of the above, as well as many others whom I am surely forgetting, have assisted our Municipality’s Technical Department and the relevant Deputy Mayors over a period of several months to ensure that all required permits were obtained.

Of course, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Skylakakis, and the Minister of the Environment, Mr. Skrekas, for including this project in the program, as well as to all the municipal staff, the Head and the staff of our Technical Department, who worked tirelessly for many months.

And since I’m sure I’ll be asked, «Why only the southern section?» I’ll answer: because projects of this scale are prioritized based on their level of maturity. And since the receiving facility in Kapsali already exists, the sewer system for the southern section is a much more advanced project than the sewer systems in other areas of the island.

However, that doesn’t mean we’re stopping here. I’d like to remind you that we’ve completed the basic preliminary study for the sewer system and wastewater treatment plant in Agia Pelagia, and we will soon be in a position to announce developments not only regarding the River but also for the broader area of Mitata/Paleopolis/Avlemona/Diakofti, which constitutes an autonomous management unit with regard to wastewater management.

In closing, I would like to inform you that, in accordance with the binding deadlines set by the Technical Committee, the project must be contracted by December 31, 2023, 50% must be completed by the end of 2024, and the entire project by the end of 2025.

Thank you for your attention!