Borehole survey makes some illuminating discoveries

Drilling more wells seems to be the most common response to the water shortages Greece has been experiencing in recent years, and especially so this summer, when scarcity reached alarming levels in many parts of the country. How right is this, however, for a country that only recently obtained a proper record of its active wells and boreholes? And even that record is not complete yet, as the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (EAGME) finished mapping 85% of such water sources this year, with the rest waiting for fresh European Union funding to be completed.

"EAGME's crews scoured the Greek countryside. We recorded the precise location of the boreholes, who they're owned by, what they're used for, how deep they are and how often they are used, and one of the first general conclusions we drew is that there are fewer wells in Greece than scientists initially...