Authorities have officially determined that an electrical short circuit triggered the devastating fire at the Paphos Desalination Plant last week, police announced on Saturday after completing their on-site investigation.
A joint inspection team, comprising members from the police, fire service, electromechanical services department, labour inspection department and ministry of agriculture, accessed the facility on Friday once temperatures had subsided to safe levels.
The destroyed facility previously supplied approximately one-third of Paphos’s water needs, with an even higher proportion during off-peak tourist seasons, according to officials.
Focus has now shifted to political planning efforts to compensate for the significant loss in the region’s water balance.
Officials said contingency plans are being adjusted to prevent water supply disruptions to Paphos city and district, though this will inevitably place additional strain on alternative sources such as dams and boreholes.
