For more than ten years, the Faneromeni Dam has been leaking water like a sieve. That is not a figure of speech; thanks to what authorities are now referring to as plain theft, millions of cubic meters have vanished. Claiming it has been under everyone’s nose for ten years, Faistos’ mayor, Grigoris Nikolidakis, announced the news during an interview in February.
The case has wandered into the court system as Nikolidakis suits whoever is liable. Allegedly, they have been illegally channeling large amounts of water—not only during the dry spells—but lately, driven by Crete’s continuous water scarcity, things have been becoming worse. The sucking continued even after the mayor reported it.
Here is the degree of damage: Faneromeni’s water level now stands at hardly 2.5 million cubic meters. The core pipeline has already been shut down to stop more losses. Nikolidakis maintains the reservoir would have had enough for the approaching dry season even if water theft had drained the dam. Too sad hindsight is not drinkable.
Lake Lefkogeia is not doing either in the meantime. Its levels are tanking due to dry winters and careless water consumption. Local authorities—including the regional government of Crete—have scrambled to restore order. Thanks to Regional Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis, a new management committee for the dam is expected to replace others shortly. Will that be beneficial? Probably. Will it prevent folks from losing their heads when the taps run empty this summer? Perhaps not.
Nikolidakis did not sugarcoat the heat Crete would bring. He painted a terrible picture for the main sector workers on the island—mostly farmers—whose lives are now precariously dependent on the thinnest thread of water supply. Not surprisingly, farming without water sounds as great a concept as a boat with a screen door.
Though the Faistos area has been classified as a state of emergency, no significant initiatives to guarantee water supply have been initiated. Emphasizing that things might spiral fast without meaningful efforts, the mayor has demanded prompt action. “Lives are being destroyed,” he warned, foreshadowing community reaction as locals consider what might be the most significant water crisis they have ever encountered.
If no action is taken—fast—here’s what Crete could have this summer: farmers cannot produce crops as water runs short, raising local conflict over limited resources.
This summer officially starts the struggle for Crete’s water supply. But years past helped to sow the seeds of this calamity. Now, water theft, mismanagement, and back-to-back dry winters are all coming to a head. Keep hold of your sun hats, visitors. This drama might find a place in your summer vacation schedule.
