Attica is facing a worsening water scarcity crisis, with daily reserves plummeting to less than half of what they were three years ago.
As of March 17, the region’s water supplies—drawn from the Mornos, Evinos, Marathon, and Yliki reservoirs—stand at just 665 million cubic metres per day, a staggering 26% drop from last year’s 900 million cubic metres. The Mornos reservoir has borne the brunt of the losses, sparking urgent action from EYDAP, Athens’ water utility, to safeguard supplies amid the climate crisis.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Compared to 2023’s 1.1 billion cubic metres daily and 2022’s 1.3 billion, today’s reserves are a shadow of their former abundance. Theodoris Kolidas, head of the National Meteorological Service, told Oikonomikos Tachydromos that scant rainfall in October and November kicked off this hydrological year (starting October 1) on a dire note. “Despite a fairly normal winter with rain and snow, the water hasn’t replenished the Evinos and Mornos basins as hoped,” he explained.
Reservoir Breakdown
The Mornos reservoir has seen the steepest decline, holding just 350 million cubic metres on March 17, 2025, down from 500 million a year ago. Evinos dropped from 54 million to 25 million, Yliki from 355.5 million to 262 million, and Marathon from 22.7 million to 20 million. For Athenians, who rely on these sources, the shrinking reserves signal a looming challenge.
EYDAP’s Plan to Save the Day
With climate change driving prolonged dry spells, the Greek government and EYDAP are rolling out an ambitious strategy to secure Attica’s water future. Short-term fixes include linking the Krikelliotis and Karpenisiotis rivers to the Evinos reservoir for a natural flow boost, reactivating Yliki’s pumping stations, and upgrading Mavrosouvala boreholes. Longer-term, they’re eyeing underground aquifers along the Mornos aqueduct—like the Boeotian Kifissos—and even desalinated seawater, with studies already underway.
In a bold contingency move, water could be shipped from the Acheloos River via tankers from Astakos to the ports of Aspra Spitia and Thisvi, then pumped into the grid if planned projects lag. Meanwhile, EYDAP is pushing public awareness campaigns to cut consumption, urging locals, councils, and industries to swap drinking water for untreated or recycled alternatives where possible—except for drinking and hygiene.
A Thirsty Future?
For Greeks worldwide watching Attica, the stakes are high. The region’s reservoirs are at a critical low, and while solutions are in motion, the clock is ticking. Will Athens weather this dry spell, or is a thirstier future on the horizon?
(Source: To Vima)