During this year's hydrogeological year (September 2020 – present), the water scarcity continued on our island (and throughout most of the country) as rainfall was not only much lower than usual, but also came in sudden, heavy downpours with long dry spells, resulting in insufficient recharge of the aquifer and consequently the decrease in well productivity.

The current municipal administration, which took office in September 2014, drew up a a clear and specific plan for water supply projects, with clear priorities in order to address the long-standing water shortages on the island. Please note that Through 2015–2016, central and large settlements such as Livadi, Karvounades, Kalamos, the wider Drymona-Kalisperianika-Pitsinianika area, Agia Pelagia, etc., faced a severe water supply problem for almost the entire duration of the summer either because of the small capacity of the reservoirs, or because of the age of the network and frequent breakdowns, which were addressed in a piecemeal fashion and without a proper plan.

The current municipal administration, by prioritizing needs, has funded and carried out dozens of water supply projects using resources from the Region, the Public Investment Program, and even private institutions. For example: new pipelines stretching for many kilometers, new large-capacity storage tanks, new boreholes, the reactivation of old, inactive boreholes, network rerouting at problematic locations with frequent failures, cleaning, sealing, and upgrading all reservoirs and pumping stations (which had not been cleaned or sealed for years) etc. These projects led to immediate results: The availability of drinking water increased dramatically, and outages were drastically reduced (or even eliminated) in large settlements (e.g., Kalamos, Livadi, Karvounades, and surrounding settlements, etc.). With the completion of the remote-control network project, we have saved thousands of cubic meters of water and are now able to monitor reservoir levels in real time without wasting the workingworking hours of our minimal staff. Through the annual contract for fault repair, the vast majority of faults are resolved within just a few hours. Once the replacement of water meters with new digital ones is complete, water losses will be drastically reduced and existing cases of water theft will be identified.

There are, however, certain areas on the island, where—either due to elevation or because of the age of the networks and a decline in well productivity—, They have always faced a water supply problem during the summer months. These areas are, in principle, the settlements supplied with water from the reservoir at the «Skliri» site (Aroniadika, Aloizianika, Kypriotianika, Frilingianika), Pano Strapodi, and parts of Potamos, Agia Pelagia, and Logothetianika. A definitive solution to the water supply problem in these communities cannot be achieved through mere wishful thinking, nor through sarcastic, knee-jerk reactions on social media—reactions that indiscriminately blame everyone and everything while ignoring key aspects of the issue. To definitively resolve these problems, the following are required: major water supply projects, arising from specialized studies and, above all, they need significant funding that cannot be covered by the municipality’s own resources. At this point, we would like to remind you that All water supply expenses are cost-recovery based; that is, the municipality is required to spend on water supply projects only the amounts it collects from water bills.. Therefore The simplistic view that «don’t pave the roads or build a sports field to solve the water supply problem» does not hold true, since water supply is a user-fee-based service and all related projects must be funded either by the corresponding revenues or by special external funding allocated exclusively for this purpose. Furthermore, a large part of the responsibility for this year’s water supply interruptions lies with HEDNO at the central level (and not at the local level, as HEDNO employees on the island are our valuable allies), since The steady drop in water pressure over the past few days has caused numerous malfunctions at key pumping stations, resulting in the loss of large quantities of water, especially at night.

As is well known, we have already secured through the Regional Authority the Funding for three desalination plants in Agia Pelagia (600 cubic meters per day) and Diakofti (300 cubic meters per day); once these plants become operational, the wells that currently supply water to Agia Pelagia will be diverted to the wider Potamos area, and the wells that currently supply water to the settlement of Diakofto will be diverted to the widerof Frilingianika-Aroniadika and the surrounding settlements. In addition, as part of the «ANTONIS TRITSIS» program, we have submitted water supply projects with a total budget of (Call AT01) of €3,346,138, involving new water supply networks approximately 25 kilometers long across the entire island, as well as desalination plants in Kapsali, Paleopolis, and Antikythira. Desalination plants are the most sustainable solution, one that has already been implemented with great success on dozens of islands throughout the country for years. For Potamos and Logothetianika, plans are in place to connect the 2^of The drilling project in Petrouni, along with the Potamos reservoir and the related work, is included in our municipality’s proposals for the TRITSIS program.

We should point out that for the past two months, Everyone involved in the water supply (Deputy Mayor, Head of Public Works, water managers, plumbers, and external contractors) are going above and beyond, working—without any exaggeration—more than 18–20 hours a day under adverse conditions (heat waves, etc.) in order to minimize the problems caused by water shortages—problems that are exacerbated by the high number of tourist arrivals during this season. We owe these people our gratitude and a big «thank you»—and certainly not criticism or accusations. The island has nearly 70 settlements, a vast and labyrinthine water supply network, and unique geomorphology that affects the water supply; is experiencing water shortages amid increased tourist traffic this summer, and it is a true feat that, out of these 70 settlements, water supply problems (occasional rather than permanent) in recent days, whereas just four years ago, more than 20 settlements faced water shortages almost every weekend during the summer. The municipality continuously supplies the reservoirs in specific areas with Daily tanker truck routes on a 24-hour basis, however, there is not enough water due to high consumption.

We take it for granted that The availability of autonomous water tanks, especially in communities where water shortages have been a known problem for years, should be a priority. Those of our fellow citizens (whether private individuals or business owners) who took the initiative to build their own water tanks are not currently facing any water shortages, since when the municipal water supply system is out of service, they use the water stored in their tanks, which whether it is supplied by rainwater during the winter, by the municipal water supply system during the off-season (e.g., April–May), or will be completed as soon as the municipal water supply is restored. These tanks are a lifesaver, especially during August, when the water supply system is stretched to its limits. Moreover, Our municipality has consistently proposed to the respective government that the use of household water tanks be made mandatory on all islands. The most recent relevant document from our Municipality was sent to the Minister of the Environment, Mr. Konstantinos Skrekas, on February 8, 2021, with reference number 571. The associated cost may be subsidized by the State, in whole or in part. With a problem as serious as the water crisis, it is impossible to find a solution without constructive cooperation between the authorities and citizens. Part of this cooperation must be the strict adherence to water conservation measures and of course timely payment of debts owed to the Municipality, as It is truly inconceivable that there are fellow citizens of ours who Although they do not face financial difficulties, they nevertheless owe enormous sums to the municipality (chronic non-payers) at the same time that they constantly make demands on him. In this context, The pursuit of every lawful means of collecting large debts owed to the Municipality will continue, both because this is an obligation of the municipal services and for practical reasons, since a municipality without revenue cannot carry out any kind of project, especially in the sensitive, user-fee-based sector of water supply.

Finally, it must be made clear that There are no magic solutions. Nor is there anything more that could be done immediately to provide water to the communities that have long faced this problem. The improvement in water supply conditions in large settlements in recent years is a very positive development and was not the result of chance. Resolving the corresponding problem in settlements that continue to experience occasional difficulties cannot be achieved without first completing the major water supply projects that have already been funded and planned. These are large-budget projects that the municipal government has managed to secure funding for and bring to fruition through great effort and continuous work over the past few years.

We apologize to our fellow citizens who are still facing water supply problems today; however, the Municipality’s ability to resolve these issues immediately is limited—minimal. All elected officials and staff are doing everything humanly possible, and they will continue to do so..

The following is a table of representative water supply projects from 2014 to the present:

2014–2021: EXAMPLE WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS

Business Plan (Master Plan) water resource management. Our municipality has a specific Operational Plan that it is following, in a systematic and methodical manner, in order to bring the necessary projects to fruition. The Plan is posted on the municipality’s website.
Comprehensive maintenance and renovation of all water supply infrastructure (reservoirs, pumping stations, valve stations) in three phases (total budget: €350,000). This project significantly increased the capacity of the reservoirs and improved all the chemical quality parameters of the island’s drinking water.
Annual tender for the repair of water supply network failures (€74,400/year). Faults are repaired immediately, without the need for complex and fragmented assignments and without diverting even a small number of water utility staff to other tasks.
Remote monitoring and control systems for water supply networks (€1,981,000 / Attica Regional Operational Program): completed – fully operational. All reservoirs and wells are now monitored by municipal staff via a digital application, minimizing the time required to address malfunctions, low water levels, etc. Our municipality has saved thousands of cubic meters of water through this project.
New, state-of-the-art digital water meters (€1,750,000 / FILODIMOS). The project is in full swing, and nearly 1,500 new water meters have already been installed. Once completed, the municipality will be able, for the first time, to issue bills on time while also minimizing water theft.
New Water Supply Network in Agia Pelagia (€3,100,000 / REGION). The project has been put out to bid, and construction will begin this fall. It is the largest water supply project undertaken on the island in recent years.
Agia Pelagia and Diakofto Drainage Projects (€1,720,000/REGION). Currently in the bidding process. Once the desalination plants are fully operational, on the one hand, the water supply problem in Agia Pelagia will be permanently resolved, and, on the other hand, the wider Skliri area will benefit as the wells currently supplying Diakofti will be put to use, while the wells currently supplying Agia Pelagia will bolster the Potamos network.
Desalination projects in Kapsali, Paleopolis/Avlemona, and Antikythira (€1,860,000 / TRITSIS). A proposal has been submitted to the TRITSIS program, and funding is expected.
Network replacements – 23 kilometers of new networks across the island (€1,480,000 / TRITSIS). A proposal has been submitted to the TRITSIS program, and funding is expected.
Installation and Operation of Iron and Manganese Removal Filters in Kryovrysi (Communities served: Agia Pelagia).
Installation and Operation 2^no iron and manganese removal filter in Petrouni and Kryovrysi (Communities served: Agia Pelagia, Potamos, Logothetianika, Karavas, Agia Anastasia)
New Water Supply Network from Diakopouliánika to the Karava Reservoir (Communities served: Karavas, Diakopoulianika).
Replacement of the Perlegianika–Dourianika Network (Communities served: Dourianika).
Replacement of the power grid in Vamvakaradika.
New Water Supply Network from Kakavo to Viaradika (Communities served: Viaradika).
New Water Supply Network from Levounari to Katouni.
New Water Supply Network from Brogi to Diakopoulianika (Communities served: Karavas, Brogi, Diakopouliánika).
New wells in Skoulandrianika, Kokkinochorafa, Milies, Martesakia, Petrouni, Disternia, Agriosykia, Panagia Odigitria, Keramoto, and Sylaka (Communities served: Karvounades, Agios Ilias, Kontolianika, Keramoto, Pitsinianika, Tsikalaria, Goudianika, Travasarianika, Skouliánika, Alexandrades, Palaiopoli, Avlemonas, Central Kythira, Petrouni, Gerakari, Brogi, Agia Anastasia, Potamos, Anzolianika, Karydianika, Vouno, and Agia Pelagia).
Cleanup and Reactivation of the Kalisperianika Well (Communities served: Drymonas).
Rehabilitation and Upgrading of the Koumaros, Plakouton, and Chalas Wells (Communities served: Kalamos, Livadi).
New Water Supply Network from Skoulandrianika to Marathia (Communities served: Karvounades, Stathianika, Agios Ilias, Kontolianika, Keramoto, Pitsinianika, Tsikalaria, Goudianika, Travasarianika, Skouliánika, Alexandrades).
Supply and installation of 5 large metal tanks in Drymona, Kalamos, Skliri, Marathia, and Antikythira (Communities served: Aroniadika, Vamvakaradika, Pitsinades, Friligianika, Kastrisianika, Aloizianika, Kypriotianika, Dokana, Fratsia, Central Island).
Replacement of the utility network in Fratsion Square as part of the redevelopment project.
Replacement of the utility network in Sklavianika as part of the urban renewal project.
Maintenance and Replacement of Media in Iron and Manganese Removal Filters TACAN Potamos, Platia Ammou, and Petrouni (Communities served: Potamos, Trifyllianika, Kampos, Plateia Ammos, Petrouni, Gerakari, Brogi, Agia Anastasia, Potamos, Anzolianika, Karydianika, Vouno).
Network variations across the island on an annual basis.
New water supply network in Belvedere in connection with the redevelopment project.
Replacement of faucets and other materials and parts throughout the island.
Construction of new structures at reservoirs and pumping stations (Maratheas, Drymonas, Kalamos, Chorokampos, Skliri).
New network from Skliri to Aloizianika (Communities served: Aloizianika).
New network from Kontolianika to Tsikalaria (Communities served: Kontolianika, Tsikalaria).
New network from Kakopetri to Kato Strapodi (Communities served: Kato Strapodi).
New network in Kalamos.
Extension of the water supply network to Faros Moudariou.
New dual-track line from Livadi to Kaki Melissa (Communities served: Chora, Livadi).
New 100-cubic-meter reservoir in Plateia Ammo. The connection will take place in the fall of 2021.
New water tower in Agia Kyriaki.
New pipeline from the Marathia reservoir to Karvounades (Communities served: Karvounades, Stathianika, Agios Ilias, Kontolianika, Keramoto, Pitsinianika, Tsikalaria, Goudianika, Travasarianika, Skouliánika, Alexandrades). It will be completed in November 2021.
New route from Agia Anastasia to Agia Pelagia. It's done.
Water transport – daily refilling of reservoirs that are facing capacity issues.
Water supply network in Lazarianika. It will be completed in the fall of 2021. It is the only settlement on the island without a water supply system.
Lease of a desalination unit for Antikythira using funds from the Ministry of Shipping (Public Investment Program).