Desalination

Yesterday was a perfect day...almost no wind...and another swim at Agia Anna with fewer people. I could actually spread my towel on the beach...only 5 other people!!

We have been talking with others about the water situation on the island and the possibility of desalination. I found this article in the Ekathimerini, an English version of the Greek newspaper online.

"In the past nine years the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy has spent the staggering sum of 68.4 million euros on the transportation of water to Greece’s arid islands – millions of euros that have basically evaporated, used to bring temporary relief rather than a permanent solution. An even greater shame is the fact that much of the water is lost owing to leaky and ill-maintained island water grids. Island water policy is a big issue made more pressing by the crisis and demands a new and comprehensive approach.

Things have changed a lot since 1969, when Syros became the first Greek island to get its own desalination plant. The number of islands with insufficient natural resources has risen along with tourism, pushing demand up every year. At the same time, islanders who were once cautious about their use of water and ensured a degree of self-sufficiency by building reservoirs and using other means of storing the resource have become more reliant on imported water and more complacent about its sufficiency."

The article went on to explain that Amorgos is approved for a desalination plant. The question is WHEN and who will monitor the maintenance!

Of course we finished the day with another group meal. This time we were saying goodbye to friends from Amsterdam with a wonderful meal of pesto pasta and salad....only ten of us gathered around the tables!