Once again, the Aposelemis Dam has outdone itself by throwing a wrench into the daily lives of locals and the plans of tourists. This time, a breakdown at the dam’s ozone plant shut down water supplies to Heraklion, Hersonissos, and Agios Nikolaos, leaving everyone with little more than hope and bottled water. The Organization for the Development of Crete S.A. (OAK S.A.) now works overtime to fix the issue—but don’t get your hopes up before next Thursday. Yes, the timing couldn’t be better: peak tourist season, sun blazing, and the taps bone dry.
One villager summed it up best, leaning over an empty sink: “If they say Thursday, I’ll believe it when I see it!”
Panic, Protests, and Empty Pools
Officials and residents are about as happy as you’d expect. Zacharias Doxastakis doesn’t bother hiding his irritation. “If they don’t sort this out now, Heraklion becomes a desert,” he says—half-joking, half-ready to start watering his tomatoes with bottled Evian. Warnings have been issued that unless immediate repairs are made, people can expect significant disruptions in water delivery. The president of Heraklion’s water utility calculates a shortfall of 300 cubic meters every hour, making it clear that empty cisterns will soon be part of the scenery.
Even worse, this is the third breakdown in recent memory, and the plant doesn’t have a backup system—just plenty of excuses. A local shopkeeper added, “It’s not the first time. Last month I bought a second mop bucket, just for stress.”
Meanwhile, the mayors of Hersonissos and Heraklion are sprinting to Athens. Their goal: to secure a quick half-million euro grant and prevent things from spiralling out of control as tourists start arriving and businesses count losses instead of profits.
Crete Stands to Lose Big
And now for the sarcasm:
- Hotels facing grumpy guests with nothing to shower with;
- Beach bars running out of clean ice before noon;
- Historic Heraklion museums offering “authentic” dusty experiences;
- Restaurants swapping out dishwashers for paper plates;
- Water parks providing the “thrill” of dry slides.
With no immediate end in sight (no longer sarcasm), the region braces for more water runs and longer lines at supermarkets. Residents can only hope that by Thursday, someone will find the correct wrench to get the water flowing again. As one grandmother said while eyeing her water barrel, “We survived worse. But last time, tourism wasn’t at stake!”
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