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EU water crisis - Despite having a robust legal framework intended to protect and sustainably manage water, the EU is currently experiencing a water crisis.

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Extreme weather on the rise -

As climate change continues to increase the risk of extreme weather, more and more European countries are experiencing droughts and flooding.

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The problem of water scarcity -

As a result, water is becoming increasingly scarce. And where water is scarce, quality tends to drop.

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Relying on bottled water -

In certain parts of the EU, the tap water is so unreliable that residents have to rely on plastic bottled water just to cook.

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Proposed solution -

In a bid to tackle this crisis, the EU plans to invest billions of euros in a campaign that will help to restore water security and resilience.

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Reasons for water scarcity -

Water scarcity is a problem in many European countries for two main reasons. The first is climate change.

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Climate change -

Particularly in southern Europe, many countries are experiencing more erratic rainfall and hotter temperatures as a result of global warming.

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Poor infrastructure -

The second important reason for water scarcity is pipe leaks. Greece, for example, is estimated to lose over 40% of drinking water due to pipe leaks and theft.

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In Argolida -

Take the Argolida region of southern Greece, for instance. Here, water escapes through cracks in an irrigation canal that feeds a plain of orange trees.

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Expert opinion -

According to officials, the underground pipes lose more than half the water that is pumped through them.

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Poor water quality -

In many areas where drinking water is scarce, the result is a drop in water quality. In Argolida’s capital, Nafplion, residents are advised not to consume the tap water during the summer.

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Supplementing with brackish water - This is because when rainfall dries up and the reservoirs drop, the authorities boost the supply of drinking water with brackish water from a nearby submarine spring, Anavalos.

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Feedback from residents -

According to residents, the brackish water is noticeably different from the normal drinking water, both in the way it smells and the way it dries out clothes.

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Testing the supply -

Between June and November 2022-24, authorities tested the water supplied by Anavalos. The findings were not reassuring.

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Potential risks -

Investigators found higher than permitted levels of chlorides and sodium. This can be dangerous for people who have blood pressure or kidney problems.

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Elsewhere in Greece -

Nafplion is not the only city in Greece where residents have limited access to drinking water, either.

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In Ermioni -

In the coastal town of Ermioni, for example, data from the local authorities suggests that only 8% of residents have permanent access to clean drinking water.

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The problem with bottled water -

In many cases, residents must rely on plastic bottled water, even for cooking—a solution that obviously has its own environmental consequences.

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Typifying the problem - While the different European countries each face their own unique challenges when it comes to water, the situation in Greece provides a clear picture of how complex change can be.

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Temperatures on the rise -

Both the summer and the winter of 2024 were the hottest on record, and many areas of the country went without rainfall for months.

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Under-investment -

There is also the added complication that in Greece, the debt crisis of 2009 to 2018 has resulted in years of under-investment.

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Suffering infrastructure -

As a result, the water infrastructure in Greece is in a worse spot than in many other countries.

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Number crunch -

According to government statistics, Greece loses almost half its drinking water to leaky pipes and theft. That is nearly twice the EU average, which is 23%.

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Spending so far -

Since 2019, the Greek government has spent more than 1.5 billion euros on improving drinking water infrastructure.

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Going forward -

However, the situation in the orange-growing hub Argolida shows that much more change is needed.

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Tackling the crisis -

As previously mentioned, the EU recently launched a campaign that aims to tackle the climate change-induced water crisis.

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Assessing water leakage -

As part of the campaign, it has given all the member states until 2026 to assess their water leakage levels.

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Introducing a legal threshold - Once the water leakage levels of each country have been ascertained, a legal threshold will be imposed.

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Overall aim -

The overarching aim of the European Water Resilience Strategy is to establish a clear path towards better water security and resilience.

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Achieving the aim -

The aim is to achieve this by ensuring the availability of clean water and better protecting the Union against water-related risks.

Sources: (Reuters) (European Commission)

See also: Europe's cleanest waters, ranked

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