A SOLAR DISTILLATION PLANT SAID TO BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND BEGAN OPERATING ON THE TINY GREEK ISLAND OF SYMI, 25 MILES FROM RHODES. IT WAS PROVIDED BY THE PROTESTANT AND ORTHODOX CHURCHES OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. DISTILLING FRESH WATER FROM THE SEA, THE SOLAR PLANT PROVIDES THE 3,000 PEOPLE OF SYMI AT 1964 WITH A SURE AND CONSTANT SUPPLY OF FRESH WATER ALL THE YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN THE PAST, THE ONLY FRESH WATER AVAILABLE DURING SUMMER HAS BEEN COLLECTED DURING WINTER AND STORED UNDERGROUND. THIS AMOUNTED TO ABOUT ONE GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY FOR ALL PURPOSES. THE FIRST WATER WAS OFFICIALLY DRAWN FROM THE PLANT YESTERDAY BY THE GREEK MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, MR. J. ZIGDIS. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES WAS REPRESENTED BY MR. SYDNEY GAMBLE, THE CHAIRMAN OF ITS EXECUTIVE OF ITS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. THE PLANT WAS BLESSED BY THE ORTHODOX METROPOLITAN AND ARCHBISHOP OF RHODES, MONSIGNOR SPYRIDON. THE ISLAND OF SYMI WAS ONCE A VERY IMPORTANT CENTRE OF THE SPONGE-FISHING INDUSTRY. DESPITE ITS EXTREME BEAUTY, IT IS VERY ARID. LONG DROUGHTS DURING THE SUMMER HAVE, IN THE PAST, CAUSED THE SMALL COASTAL COMMUNITIES OF SYMI MUCH HARDSHIP.