**Mazotos Community Urges President to Reassess Desalination Unit Plans**
The Mazotos community council has formally requested President Nikos Christodoulides to reconsider plans for a mobile desalination unit proposed for the area, citing significant environmental and archaeological concerns. In a letter addressed to the president, the council expressed its “strong concern, disappointment and opposition” to the installation of the desalination plant along the community's coastline.
The council argues that recent improvements in water reserves, attributed to increased rainfall in recent months, provide an opportunity to revisit decisions that were made under pressure. They believe this situation allows for a reassessment of the desalination project and the exploration of alternative solutions that may be less harmful to the environment and more financially viable.
A preliminary scientific assessment of the project's environmental documentation, completed in May 2026, highlighted “substantial deficiencies and inconsistencies” in the licensing and site selection process, according to the council. The letter emphasized that a strategic environmental assessment should have been conducted prior to the decision to move forward with the state desalination program. Such an assessment would have established a national framework for the development and siting of desalination facilities, allowing for a more comprehensive evaluation of alternative options and cumulative impacts, including potential effects on marine ecosystems, brine disposal, and energy requirements.
The community council raised particular concerns regarding the findings of independent marine scientists from MER Lab, who reportedly indicated that the area should not have been promoted for such a project without stricter scrutiny due to the presence of sensitive marine habitats. The council specifically pointed to the Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and other vulnerable seabed ecosystems, arguing that these factors should have been significant restrictions in the site selection process, rather than being treated as manageable risks after the fact.
The council contended that a full environmental impact assessment should have been conducted before any decisions were made, especially given the project's implications for underwater pipelines and associated coastal and marine works in an area recognized for its environmental and archaeological sensitivity. They argued that the project should be viewed holistically as a series of interconnected land, coastal, and marine interventions, rather than as a temporary installation.
Concerns regarding the characterization of the desalination unit as “mobile” were also raised during a public meeting held on June 15, which included Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou, officials from various governmental departments, and members of the public. Participants expressed skepticism about the feasibility of a facility with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters of water per day, expandable to 40,000 cubic meters, being classified as temporary or easily relocatable. The council pointed out that the data presented indicated a large-scale project that would involve significant and potentially long-term interventions in the coastal and marine area.
In addition to environmental concerns, the council highlighted the presence of documented archaeological finds and indications of archaeological interest in the vicinity of the proposed desalination unit. They argued that excavation works and interventions in the coastal zone could pose serious risks not only to the natural environment but also to the cultural heritage of the area.
The Mazotos community council emphasized that opposition to the project is widespread, reflecting the sentiments of the local population. They described their stance as “universal, organized, and institutionally expressed,” indicating a strong collective resistance to the proposed plans.
The council deemed the current location for the desalination unit “environmentally unacceptable” and urged President Christodoulides to intervene, calling for the cancellation and substantial reconsideration of the decision. They also requested a meeting with the president “as soon as possible” to discuss their concerns further.
As the debate continues, the Mazotos community remains vigilant, advocating for a thorough review of the desalination project to ensure the protection of both the environment and the cultural heritage of their area.