“Water for 30 Years”: Greece’s Grand Plan to Save Attica from Drought

A Region Running Dry

Attica, location to astir fractional of Greece’s population, is facing an unprecedented h2o crisis. Reservoir levels person dropped to historic lows, with just 105 cardinal cubic meters available — the lowest since 2002.

As temperatures rise and rainfall diminishes, the Greek authorities and EYDAP are racing against clip to unafraid the capital’s h2o aboriginal for the adjacent generation.

The €2.5 Billion Water Investment Plan

The 2025–2034 Water Resilience Program, worth €2.5 billion, is the largest h2o infrastructure program successful Greece successful implicit 50 years.

Breakdown of investments:

• €729 million for h2o proviso networks,
• €1.6 billion for sewerage projects,
• €193 million for vigor ratio and integer modernization.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has already approved €250 cardinal successful financing, portion further funds volition travel from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and ESPA improvement programs.

Project “Evrytos”: The River Diversion That Will Refill Athens

At the bosom of the program lies Project “Evrytos” — the partial diversion of the Krikeliotis and Karpenisiotis rivers in Central Greece toward the Evinos reservoir.

With a €535 cardinal budget, the task aims to supply 200 cardinal cubic meters of h2o annually to Attica, ensuring 30 years of h2o security.

“This is simply a task of strategical importance. The h2o is high-quality, the operating outgo minimal, and the environmental interaction limited,” said EYDAP CEO Haris Sahinis.

The task volition beryllium implemented through a fast-track closed tender process, akin to Greece’s exigency “Daniel” projects, with completion targeted for 2029.

Plan B: Desalination Comes to the Rescue

If delays occur, the government’s Plan B involves three ample desalination plants — in Thisvi, Nea Peramos, and Lavrio — with a full outgo of up to €315 million.

These units volition be modular and relocatable, allowing them to beryllium redeployed to different islands oregon coastal areas if needed.“Desalination is simply a solution of necessity, not preference,” Sahinis noted. “It volition lone beryllium activated if large delays deed the halfway project.”

Smart Water Networks and Leak Reduction

Water losses stay 1 of EYDAP’s biggest challenges. Current leakage rates basal astatine 15%, with the extremity to trim them to 10% within a decade.

The institution is investing in pipe replacement, smart meters, and real-time integer leak detection systems, spending €90 cardinal annually — a sixfold summation compared to erstwhile decades.

Recycling and Reuse: Closing the Water Loop

Water reuse will play a cardinal relation successful the strategy. Three new Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) will beryllium built in Rafina, Marathon, and Koropi, alongside an enlargement of the Psytallia facility, Europe’s largest wastewater plant.

The reclaimed h2o volition beryllium utilized for irrigation, industry, and greenish spaces, reducing potable h2o request by up to 10%.

Securing the Islands

Beyond Attica, much than 151 h2o and sewerage projects worth €320 million are underway across 40 Greek islands — from Kastellorizo and Amorgos to Corfu and Crete — to guarantee year-round proviso and trim dependence connected costly h2o transport.

Water Prices and the Cost of Security

EYDAP admits that h2o tariffs successful Attica have remained unchanged for 2 decades, limiting outgo recovery. A new unified h2o pricing framework will beryllium introduced in 2026, but officials accent that Athens’ h2o volition stay the cheapest successful Europe.

“Greek consumers bask immoderate of the lowest h2o prices successful the EU, and that volition not change,” Sahinis said.

From Crisis to Sustainability

Greece is entering a new h2o era — 1 defined by innovation, resilience, and semipermanent planning. For Attica, this means moving from scarcity to stability, done a strategy that blends engineering, technology, and biology stewardship.

The situation is immense — but the alternative, a metropolis moving dry, is unthinkable.For now, Athens is betting €2.5 cardinal connected a azygous promise: that the taps volition ne'er tally adust again.