Technical and Cultural Visits
As part of WDSA/CCWI 2026, a selection of Technical and Cultural Visits will be offered to registered conference participants. Visits will take place on Friday, 22 May, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (expected return to the pick-up location by 13:00).
Two (2) Technical and one (1) Cultural visits will be available:
- Asprokremmos Water Treatment Plant
- Paphos Desalination Plant
- Aphrodite’s Cultural Route Tour
* Registered participants will receive a dedicated link to sign up for the visits.
** Places are limited. Where demand exceeds capacity, priority will be assigned based on the date of conference registration (earlier registrations receive priority).
Further information on the technical and cultural visit sites is provided below.
Technical Visits
Asprokremmos Water Treatment Plant
The “Asprokremmos Water Treatment Plant” is a critical drinking-water infrastructure asset for the Paphos District in Cyprus, producing potable water primarily from the Asprokremmos and Kannaviou Reservoir. The plant is a key pillar of supply for the urban and peri-urban area of Paphos, with a production capacity of approximately 32,000 m³/day. An ongoing expansion is expected to be completed by February 2026 to raise total capacity to about 42,000 m³/day. This technical visit offers participants a field-level view of how a major surface-water treatment facility under the Water Development Department is operated and upgraded to maintain drinking-water quality and resilience, including the implementation of activated carbon filtration to improve taste/odour as well as On Site Chloride Dioxide and to improve the process and reduce certain disinfection by-products.
Paphos Desalination Plant
Cyprus faces chronic water scarcity and increasingly severe drought pressure, with EU water-stress indicators repeatedly ranking it among the most water-stressed Member States; as a result, desalination has become a core pillar of drinking-water security and, in recent years, has supplied a substantial share of national potable demand.¹ The Paphos Seawater Desalination Plant is a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) facility developed by Caramondani Desalination Plants, with a nominal production capacity of 15,000 m³/day of potable water, delivered under a 25-year BOOT (Build–Own–Operate–Transfer) contract.² This technical visit offers the opportunity to see the key elements of an SWRO production chain in practice, typically including seawater intake and pre-treatment, high-pressure RO and energy-recovery systems, and post-treatment prior to delivery to the distribution system.
¹ European Environment Agency (EEA), “Water scarcity conditions in Europe”. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/use-of-freshwater-resources-in-europe-1
² Caramondani Group, “Caramondani Desalination Plants”.
https://caramondani.com/group/caramondani-desalination-plants
Aphrodite’s Cultural Route Tour
First stop will be at the Archaeological site of Palaipafos. The Site is in Kouklia Village and was one of the most important city-kingdoms of Cyprus, as well as the first Cypriot site to be included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1980. The Sanctuary of Aphrodite is the most famous of the Ancient Greek Goddess’ sanctuaries, and its ancient remains date back to the 12th century BC, whilst it remained a place of worship until the 3rd – 4th centuries AD.
There are two versions of how Palaipafos was founded; one story tells that Agapenor, the King of Tegea (Peloponesus), founded the city-kingdom on his way back from the Trojan War. A second legend tells that Kinyras, the local legendary king was the founder and first High Priest of The Sanctuary of Aphrodite. The museum, housed in a Lusignan Manor, exhibits many interesting finds from the area and portrays how the Cult of the Goddess of Fertility developed into the Cult of Aphrodite.
After Palaipafos Archaeological site, the tour will continue to the Tombs of the Kings.
This site is one of the most important archaeological sites of Cyprus that has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980. The monumental underground tombs are carved out of solid rock and date back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Rather than kings, it is actually high ranking officials and aristocracy that were buried here, but the size and splendour of the tombs – some decorated with Doric pillars – gave the locality its grand name. Some of the tombs imitate the houses of the living, with the burial chambers opening onto a peristyle atrium. They are similar to tombs found in Alexandria, demonstrating the close relations between the two cities during the Hellenistic period. Next stop Will be Kato Paphos Archaeological Park.
The Paphos Mosaics are considered among the finest in the eastern Mediterranean and form part of the Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980. They were discovered in 1962, after a farmer ploughing his field accidently unearthed one of them. The House of Dionysos is one of the villas of four Roman noblemen that date from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD.The intricate floor mosaics depict various scenes from Greek Mythology.The 556 square metre floor mosaics at the House of Dionysos are decorated with mythological, hunting scenes and scenes associated with wine. Free time at Paphos Harbor before continuing to Agia Paraskevi Church Yeroskipou Village.
The 9th century Byzantine church is a five-domed, three-aisled, barrel-vaulted basilica, making it one of only two such churches on the whole island, and a significant example of Byzantine architecture. Return to the Hotel.
** Note that a fee may apply for the cultural visit