Huge development project for the water supply of the municipality of Kythera

One of the most important projects of the last few years was successfully financed by the Municipal Authority, in the framework of the implementation of its development programme. By decision of the Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. Stelios Petsas and following a positive evaluation of the competent Managing Authority, the project «ANTONIS TRITSIS» was included in the Local Government Development Programme «Improvement of water supply infrastructure of the Municipality of Kythera» with a total eligible budget of 3.059.686,00€. The studies of the project were prepared by the Technical Service of our Municipality with the support and cooperation of the Technical Support Department of Island Municipalities of the Region of Attica. The project includes the following 2 sub-projects, which will be tendered separately through a public electronic tender:

1. «Replacement and variation of networks - interconnection of tanks», Budget 1.193.548,39€ (exempt from VAT). The project concerns the replacement of existing water supply networks which are made of asbestos-cement pipelines in the 1960s - 1970s, resulting in extremely high losses today, as well as the interconnection of existing reservoirs in order to better exploit the boreholes and manage more effectively the available drinking water potential. The total length of the new modern networks is 23,290 metres and distributed geographically as follows:

• Replacement of the Petronius Tank - River Tank (TACAN) depression pipeline: 3740m.
• Replacement of the old asbestos distribution pipeline from the intersection of Petroniou - Gerakarios road with Diakopoulianikon road to the Potamos Tank: 3770m.
• Replacement of part of the depressant pipeline Petroniou Tank - Gerakarios Tank: 500m.
• Replacement of the exploitation pipeline from the Plakouta, Koumelia, Co-operative to River Tanks (TACAN): 755m.
• Interconnection of the Georgas Reservoir with the Central Reservoir of Hardy (depressed pipeline): 4315m.
• Replacement of the central supply distribution pipeline of settlements, Aroniadika - Frilingianikon - Kastrisianikon: 1900m.
• Interconnection of Kontolianikon Reservoir with Agia Kyriaki water tower (depressed pipeline): 2425m.
• Connecting the Kontolianikon Tank - Kafina Tank (Gudianika) (depressed pipeline): 1945m. 
• Main distribution feeder pipeline from Kafinas tank to the settlements of Goudianika - Agios Ilias - Kontolianika and from there to Livadi: 1945m.
• Interconnection between the Ag. Kyriaki water tower and the Kafinas reservoir in Goudianika: 1995m.

2. «Supply and installation of water treatment units for the water supply needs of the Municipality of Kythera», budget 1.860.000,00€ (including VAT). This sub-project concerns the supply and installation of three (3) new seawater desalination plants and five (5) stand-alone water kiosks, in order to provide on a 24-hour basis, water suitable for drinking to the residents and visitors of Kythera and Antikythera. The new units will be located in appropriately designed municipal areas selected for this purpose. Specifically, the three (3) seawater desalination units will be installed as follows: in the areas of Capsali and Avlemonas one (1) portable unit with a daily capacity of 300m³ drinking water and in Antikythera within an existing building one (1) unit with a daily capacity of 100m³ drinking water. The five (5) stand-alone drinking water production and distribution units (waterkiosks) with a daily capacity of 6m³ drinking water each, will be installed in the settlements of Ag. Pelagia, Potamos, Capsali, Livadi and Avlemonas, and will treat the water from the municipal network. The supply of each desalination unit will include, in addition to the necessary equipment, the loading, transport, complete installation and connection to any necessary network, training in use and operation, carrying out operational tests, checks and analyses of the water produced and delivery of the unit in a state of excellent and trouble-free operation, at the responsibility, care and expense of the supplier. The Municipality will now have at its disposal 6 desalination plants (2 in Ag. Pelagia and 1 each in Diakofti, Avlemonas/Paleopolis, Kapsali and Antikythera), of which those of Ag. Pelagia and Diakofti have already been tendered with funding from the Region of Attica and are expected to be put into operation in the coming months.

On the occasion of this important new funding, the Mayor of Kythera, Mr. Efstratios Harhalakis, said the following: «Once again, the Municipality of Kythera manages to include large infrastructure development projects, this time in the ‘ANTONIS TRITSIS’ programme. I warmly thank the Deputy Minister of Interior Mr. Stelios Petsas and the services of the Managing Authority of the Ministry, as well as the staff of the Technical Service and the Region of Attica for their commitment to the design goals we have set in order to achieve major project funding, as we have been doing consistently since 2014 until today. With these projects, very important water supply problems throughout the island are being solved, which is important both for the residents and for tourism development. The integration of major projects will continue uninterrupted, for the benefit of citizens and as the best response to any expression of petty politics and pettiness wherever it comes from.».