Greece’s largest water utility, EYDAP, has issued a stark warning over the security of the water supply to the Athens metropolitan area, home to nearly half the country’s population. In its latest annual financial report, the company highlights the vulnerability of the region’s water system and the urgent need for investment in critical infrastructure to prevent a major disruption.
According to the report, the risk stems from the aging and overstressed External Water Supply System (EWSS), particularly the Union Aqueduct — a key component that falls under the ownership of the Greek state. EYDAP warns that a failure in this system could lead to a temporary drop of 30 to 40 percent in the water supply to the capital. While such a scenario has not yet occurred, the potential consequences would be severe, affecting millions of residents and essential services.
The issue is not new. As far back as August 2022, Greece’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport had informed EYDAP that it intended to assign the utility a series of high-priority projects aimed at reinforcing the water supply infrastructure, with a proposed budget of €78 million. Yet, nearly three years later, neither the funding framework nor the formal agreement required to move forward with these projects has been finalized. In March 2023, EYDAP submitted a formal request to the relevant ministries, urging immediate resolution of the financial and technical issues holding up progress. As part of its proposal, the company suggested partnering with EYDAP Fixed Assets, a state-owned subsidiary, as the most practical way to expedite the necessary interventions. However, a clear response from the Ministry of Environment is still pending.
EYDAP also underlined that, under its existing public contract, the state bears full responsibility for supplying untreated water. In legal terms, this means that in the event of a supply failure, the economic impact would fall on the Greek government, not the publicly listed utility.
As concerns over water scarcity grow, especially in light of increasing drought frequency and climate pressure, EYDAP’s CEO, Haris Sachinis, presented a broader plan to address water security for Attica. He stressed that while the company is prepared to implement solutions, the ultimate decisions lie with the state.
In the near term, EYDAP is focusing on technical upgrades that can be implemented quickly or within a few years. These include strengthening pumping stations in Mavrosouvala and making use of existing boreholes in the Kifisos area. Other, more unconventional solutions are also under discussion, such as desalinating brackish water and, in emergency scenarios, transporting water from western Greece’s Acheloos River using floating platforms to industrial ports in central Greece like Aspropyrgos and Thisvi.
Looking further ahead, the company is advocating for more ambitious infrastructure projects to secure Attica’s water supply over the long term. Among the proposals is the integration of the capital’s water system with Lake Kremasta — Greece’s largest artificial reservoir — and the development of a new supply route connecting water resources from two western rivers via the Evinos–Mornos tunnel. According to Sachinis, such projects could ensure water sufficiency in the capital for decades, providing a much-needed buffer against the unpredictable impacts of climate change.
