Water shortage: Investments of 7 billion euros so that the country does not go thirsty – This is how water sufficiency will be ensured – 2024-09-19 04:40:30

An investment plan, worth more than 7 billion euros, was unveiled last week by the heads of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN) and EYDAP. In particular, the budget of the proposed 2,127 projects by the water providers (excluding EYDAP) so that the country does not go thirsty in the coming years reaches 5.9 billion euros. For the 681 projects, funds of approximately two billion euros are required and for the rest, which concern infrastructure upgrades and replacements, 3.9 billion euros.

32% of the projects aim at ensuring the adequacy and quality of drinking water (water abstraction, desalination projects, network extensions, etc.), 39% at reducing leaks by replacing networks, 20% at installing telemetry systems and the rest are integrated programs that were not implemented.

In Attica

As for Attica, the cost of the projects estimated to cover its water needs exceeds 1 billion euros. The short-term measures include activation of boreholes in Mavrosouvala and addition of back-up boreholes in the middle of the Boeotian Kifisos (75 million m³/year), with the cost of the project being 2 million euros.

In the medium term, it is planned to strengthen the Evinos reservoir from tributaries that feed the Kremasto lake and in particular the Krikelopotamos and Karpenisiotis (up to approximately 200 million square meters depending on the needs), projects worth 500 million euros. In the long term, additional projects have been planned to strengthen the Evinos reservoir from Lake Kremasto by building a pumping station for water and energy storage. The project, with a budget of 250 million euros, will probably proceed as a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and will serve energy storage needs, as well as a reserve as a water reservoir.

Strategic reserve

At the same time, for Attica, the option of desalination is being promoted as a strategic reserve or as an immediate implementation measure if necessary, while projects of 400 million euros will be implemented to improve the water supply networks in order to limit leakages. Also, projects are planned for the reuse of water coming from Psittalia and Thriasio for industrial use and irrigation, as well as for the enrichment of the water table, which however have a horizon of implementation and operation of about a decade.

The funds

For the financing of the 2,127 projects in the rest of the country, funds have been provided:

A. 150 million euros from the NSRF, for projects in Corinth, Saronic, Alexandroupoli, Kassandra and Rethymno concerning water supply and sewage. Another 50 million euros will subsidize new projects on arid islands, mainly desalination, with the pilot implementation study starting from Astypalaia, Nisyros, Symi, Kasos, Leipsos, Tilos, Halki, Kastellorizo, Agios Efstratios and Psara.

B. 142.2 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (REF) for contracted projects.

B. 80 million euros from the Ministry of the Interior’s Public Investment Program in areas with the most immediate water shortage problem for new drilling, desalination, network repair, dams, telemetry and digital water meters, reuse of treated sewage, etc. It concerns arid islands of the South Aegean, small islands of the Eastern Aegean, Paxos, Skopelos and other selected areas of the country.

C. 166 million euros from the Island Decarbonization Fund for water supply projects as well as “dams – multi-purpose reservoirs” that include desalination units combined with Renewable Energy (RES) power plants and pumped storage tanks (using seawater) to limit energy costs.