The residents of the village of Icaros were unwavering in their goal to achieve zero-carbon status, while also ensuring a stable, abundant supply of wholesome drinking water. Yet delivering reliable, clean water in rural regions remains a significant challenge, particularly in areas reliant on small boreholes and limited infrastructure. These boreholes were often drilled when populations were far lower and waste management systems more rudimentary, factors which over time contribute to the risk of contamination and resulting public health concerns.
Determined to address these issues, the Mayor of Kyriakos, Air-Marshall General Geroulis, secured support from the Water for People and Peace project. Together, they sought an effective, low-energy, and sustainable solution for the wider area, with Icaros a key focus. General Geroulis had heard of the PaquaVida system, developed in the UK by Paqua, and was keen to discover whether it could meet their local needs.
After several months of groundwork—sampling and analysing the water, and fully assessing the borehole site and supply infrastructure—a PaquaVida purification unit was assembled in the UK and shipped to Greece. It was then transported to Icaros, where, over the course of three days, expert engineers from Paqua installed, configured, and tested the system, and trained local staff to ensure they could manage it independently. The package included a solar power unit and an uninterruptible power supply to maintain consistent operation.
Following meticulous testing and analysis, the results confirmed that all drinking water standards were fully met. The system became fully operational, supplying hundreds of properties in the village, and its performance is continually monitored remotely to safeguard the quality and consistency of Icaros’s water supply.
