The beach of Pahia Ammos in Stavros, once a pristine postcard for summer seekers, now stars in a different brochure. The Environmental Protection Association of Stavros (SEA) has accused the Chania Water and Sewage Municipal Company (DEYACH) of turning paradise into a construction waste bin. The charge: “reckless disposal” of assorted site runoff from the under-construction raw sewage pumping station A44, deposited carelessly onto the coastline with all the grace of a toddler upending a sandbox.
If anyone thinks the company did its paperwork, think again. The pumping station is not only close enough to the sea to qualify for a swim but, according to the association, was thrown up on the edge of the shore without the courtesy of an approved land concession.
But why settle for a bit of gray water when you can have an entire mix of seawater blended with excavation debris? This charming cocktail remained stagnant for at least two weeks, marinating after the project stopped on May 8—apparently when some spoilsports objected to the destruction of dunes. Work resumed on May 22, and the “solution” was to pour the whole mess right back onto Pahia Ammos, in full view of tourists who had only signed up for sun and saltwater, not building-site sludge.
What Went Down
- DEYAX disposed of large volumes of construction site waste directly on Pahia Ammos beach.
- No permission was granted for this construction, set just 50 meters from the sea.
- Wastewater, a heady mix of seawater and construction materials, stagnated for weeks.
- The resumption of work led to the direct discharge of this waste onto a globally recognized tourist beach.
- Sightings of pollutants shocked residents and visitors; the horror even made the local press.
- No clear lab tests were reported on the water before dumping—swimmers, cross your fingers.
- Environmental laws on on-site waste disposal remain seemingly bypassed.
- The discharge occurred near protected Posidonia seagrass meadows, threatened by any type of pollution.
- During nesting season, the area is also prime real estate for endangered Caretta caretta turtles.
- SEA claims DEYAX ignored objections from a chorus of citizens and environmental groups.
- Calls are made for immediate intervention to protect public health and restore the damage—including eroded dunes and destroyed Pancratium Maritimum lilies.
Pahia Ammos: A Magnet for Trouble—and Turtles
Some might say, “timing is everything.” In this case, timing should have called for care, not chaos. The dumping site nestles up to Posidonia meadows, catalogued in loving detail by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research as habitats under threat from “all forms of pollution … and any activity that alters water clarity and salinity.” These meadows aren’t just scenic—they are protected. So are the local dunes, suffering a slow, sandy demise, as if erosion were a spectator sport.
If that’s not enough, the neighborhood hosts Caretta Caretta sea turtles. Every year, without fail, these ancient mariners pick this stretch for their nesting, with the local Natural History Museum reporting dense egg-laying for 2025. The turtles didn’t sign up for this rerouting of construction runoff either, and their nesting grounds now share a ZIP code with excavator leftovers.
Meanwhile, the DEYACH administration, perhaps mistaking environmental protest for background noise, continues headlong, ignoring thousands of complaints from both local and international voices, including outfits like the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation and iSea. Both groups have joined the mounting call for a halt and a rethink on where to put pumping station A44. From the reaction, “location, location, location” never made it into the project brief.
Who’s Asking: Where Are the Checks?
With pollution on display and outrage on the rise, questions have landed with a thud at municipal and regional offices:
- Were there lab checks on the stagnant water before it hit the sand? Or was everyone just hoping for the best?
- Before taking action, did anyone even glance at the environmental regulations on waste from construction and demolition?
The public is not amused. Neither are the turtles.
As one SEA spokesperson put it, “these activities by DEYACH create serious questions about whether necessary steps are being taken for both public health and environmental protection.”
For anyone convinced this is just an overblown sandcastle dispute, the evidence and the stench speak for themselves. But if you want a ringside seat—or perhaps just confirmation that bureaucratic bumbling has finally jumped the shark—there’s always the full report at neakriti.gr.
