Paqua
Airport Service Road
Portsmouth
PO3 5PF
Airport Service Road
Portsmouth
PO3 5PF
Evia Island is the second largest Greek Island after Crete both in terms of physical size and population. Many of the villages on this island are served by separate freshwater boreholes. One of the villages Icaros, had committed to a Zero Carbon objective and the Mayor felt that with an Oasis Water Solution, was the best route to achieving a steady supply of clean, wholesome drinking water to the village with minimal energy usage.
To create a sustainable and wholesome drinking water supply for all households and municipal buildings in the village of Icaros.
The source water was from a freshwater borehole which was found to be contaminated both with heavy metal elements and biological contaminants.
The village was located on the south coast of the Island. The area is rural and mountainous.
It is probably no surprise to many, that the people of the southern part of the Island of Evia, Greece are passionate about their country, and their environment more broadly. The residents of the village of Icaros were determined in their goal to achieve zero carbon status and they were also equally committed to securing a stable and plentiful supply of wholesome drinking water. Achieving this reliable supply of wholesome drinking water is not easy in rural areas that rely on relatively small boreholes and limited infrastructure. The boreholes were often created at times when population levels were significantly lower and arrangements for waste management were also fairly rudimentary. Many years later these two factors will frequently lead to risks of drinking water contamination and the public health issues that come with this. The Mayor of Kyriakos, Air-Marshall General Geroulis took the initiative with the support of the Water for People and Peace project to find an effective, low energy and sustainable solution to this problem for the people of his area and Icaros in particular. General Geroulis had heard of the PaquaVida system being developed in the UK by Paqua and was keen to see if such a solution could work for them. So, after several months of preparation which involved taking water samples and having these analysed and a full assessment of the borehole site and supply infrastructure, a PaquaVida water purification unit was assembled in the UK and transported to Greece, arriving ultimately at Icaros itself. Over a period of three days, expert engineers from Paqua, installed, configured and tested the PaquaVida system and trained local staff too so that they could maintain the system directly. The system included a solar power unit and an uninterruptible power supply. The system was fully tested and samples taken for analysis. Results showed that all drinking water standards had been fully met and the system is now in full operation, supplying the hundred of properties in the village. The unit is monitored remotely.
‘Running continually with ideal characteristics, without use of chlorine and consumables. We are strongly recommending this system to be adopted by the Greek Government for use by other Municipalities’
Dr General Geroulis, Mayor of Karystos and President of Icaros Village
