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as orthodox christian As the world attended Epiphany ceremonies to mark the baptism of Christ on Tuesday, worried Greek officials used the moment to highlight growing water shortages.
A priest plunges a wooden cross into an apparently depleted lake marathonan artificial reservoir in the north athens. water Storage capacity at the reservoir and three other reservoirs supplying Athens has fallen from more than 1 billion cubic meters in 2022 to about 390 million cubic meters.
The sharp drop in water volumes prompted authorities to declare a water emergency in the capital in November.
“This is the third consecutive year that reservoir levels have dropped significantly. This means that the problem is before us,” George Stergiou, chairman of Greater Athens water company EYDAP, told The Associated Press after attending the marathon ceremony.
Stergio warned that long-term droughts were becoming more frequent and were often followed by heavy rainfall that did little to replenish supplies.
The state utility announced a 10-year €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) investment plan to reduce water losses and improve water security, including replacing pipes, smart meters and expanding wastewater reuse.
“As a first step, what we want to do is replace all current non-potable uses with recycled water,” Stergio said.
Reservoir manager Sofia Nalpantidou said Marathon’s low water levels should be viewed in context, noting that the lake was connected to the wider system and was partly managed for seasonal flood control.
“We usually keep it lower in the winter because we want to maintain a buffer,” Nalpandidu said.
Residents have noticed the changes.
“It used to rain a lot, sometimes every day. That doesn’t happen anymore,” said Antonis Stamou, a 78-year-old retiree who attended Tuesday’s funeral.