Moni sewage treatment plant leak incident details
On August 5, approximately 500 cubic metres of sludge and secondary-treated water leaked from an emergency pipeline at the Moni sewage treatment plant in Limassol. Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, responding to a parliamentary inquiry by Michalis Paraskevas, confirmed the incident was caused by a valve failure in the plant's sand filter system. The leaked material had bypassed both sand filtration and chlorination stages.
The discharge lasted for approximately two and a half hours, occurring between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Plant staff managed to limit the outflow by adjusting control systems before completing repairs. The incident gained public attention after local communities in Moni and Monagroulli hired divers to film the discharge, with footage later broadcast by Omega TV.
Previous reports indicate that laboratory analysis of samples taken at the site revealed the presence of coliform bacteria and enterococci. The event prompted strong protests from local residents and swimmers concerned about the environmental impact on the coastal area.