Akamas mayor Marinos Lambrou on Monday said he had requested the water development department to move the mobile desalination plant which is planned to be placed near the Potima beach further away from the tourist area.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said he had sent a letter to the department’s Paphos district engineer Charis Kasioulis outlining his concerns regarding the current plans for the desalination plant.

He pointed out the Potima beach area is where the planned Paphos marina will be built, and is close to tourist hotspot Coral Bay.

He added that he had requested “that it be ensured that the construction and operation of the plant will not degrade the environment of the area” and that “measures be taken which will limit the noise to the minimum possible level”.

Additionally, he said, “the unit must be designed in a way which aesthetically integrates into the land without causing visual pollution”, adding that “the use of aesthetically friendly and tasteful construction material is necessary.

“The Akamas municipality hosts tourist infrastructure, beaches, and cultural events, and as such we request that the necessary measures be taken so that the accessibility of these activities is not affected,” he said.

He then called on the water development department to “officially brief” local residents “so they have a full picture of the project, its feasibility, and its possible impacts”.

His comments come after Kissonerga deputy mayor Nikolas Theodosiou had told the Cyprus Mail that he had sent a letter of his own to the water development department asking that the plant be moved further from the coast than is presently planned.

Kissonerga is the borough in which the Potima beach is located, and Theodosiou’s letter cited aesthetics and planned future developments. Despite this, he stressed that he had not asked for the plant to be placed in an entirely different location.

“We sent a letter about our concerns, but we have not asked that they move it somewhere else. We just would like it to be taken a little bit further from the coast, maybe 100 or 150 metres,” he said.

Work on the Paphos marina is expected to finish in 2029.