Water desalination

The Ministry of the Interior is allocating 11.25 million euros to combat water scarcity through grants to municipalities, municipal companies and water associations. 

Authorities in the tourism hotspot of the southern province of Mugla's Bodrum district are mulling over seawater desalination due to low dam water levels, but experts warn this could result in permanent groundwater salinization and pose significant environmental risks.

Emergency measures to address water scarcity and climate risks are being activated by EYDAP to address the rapid decline in reservoir supplies and the increased demand for water brought on by severe drought and rapidly rising temperatures.

The biggest reservoir on the Greek island of Naxos has dried up, useful only to the turtles that cruise its muddy shallows. Downstream, seawater has seeped into empty irrigation wells, harming the island's prized potato crop.

The electricity and water supply was finally restored on the Saronic island of Hydra early on Monday afternoon after a day-and-a-half of turmoil for locals and tourists alike. 

A power cut, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, left thousands of visitors to the island without running water or air conditioning for around 35 hours. 

The glamorous Aegean holiday island of Myconos has been plagued by repeated water cuts this summer due to increased power consumption impacting desalination plants.

Authorities attribute the water shortage to the lower productivity of desalination plants due to power cuts caused by the surge in electricity consumption resulting from the arrival of thousands of visitors on the island.

Greece's Shipping Industry and the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy have signed a 870,000 euro contract for the construction of a desalination plant on the remote Dodecanese island of Kastellorizo.

Residents in Paphos face the possibility of severe water shortages if there is little rain this winter as plans to construct a new desalination plant for the district continue to move at a sluggish pace.

Unexpected ‘technical difficulties’ have delayed the invitation of tenders for the creation of the new plant in Kouklia leaving the district at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Funds are to be released for repair work on a desalination plant on Kastellorizo, putting an end to the expensive practice of carrying water to the small island.

A new desalination plant opened on Hydra on Monday giving the island access to drinking water at almost a third of the previous price, is set to prompt the government to make it easier for such units to be constructed.

The plant on Hydra is able to process 1,600 cubic meters of water a day. It was built by Greek firm TEMAK, which won a tender to build and run the unit for 12 years.