The age of the network is causing significant water loss. Renovations are long overdue.
In the most fertile agricultural plain of the Penopolese region, water is no longer just a precious resource: it has become a symptom—a symptom of an aging infrastructure that has long been neglected and is now unable to meet the demands of a region facing increasing water pressure.
The facts are clear. Nearly 60% of the water flowing through the irrigation network is lost before it even reaches the farm fields. The cause is a network of obsolete pipes, corroded and riddled with leaks visible at every point along the network.
“In addition to network-related issues, water is being wasted inside homes. Damaged faucets and toilet flushes can waste several hundred liters of water a day,” reports Ta Nea. “In agriculture, water losses reach 60%,” adds the daily newspaper.
This system, designed to regulate the flow between the Anavalos karst spring and the Argos plain, relies on a balance that has now been disrupted. The Kiveri Dam, the central component of the system, captures groundwater before redistributing it through a network of open canals and underground pipes. But since an accident eight years ago, a breach in the structure has allowed saltwater to seep into the system.
However, despite the advanced state of disrepair of the infrastructure and the visible consequences on the ground, no major rehabilitation project has been undertaken to date. The lack of regular maintenance since the network was put into service has accelerated its deterioration, transforming what was once a key infrastructure asset into a source of vulnerability.
1 : La Grèce perd 58 millions de mètres cubes d’eau courante chaque année, 2024, Courier International.
URL : https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/chiffre-du-jour-la-grece-perd-58-millions-de-metres-cubes-d-eau-courante-chaque-annee_222668