- Residents in Heraklion complain of suffocating odors spreading through neighborhoods.
- DEYAH says the problem comes from storm drains, not sewage pipes.
- Stagnant household wastewater and summer heat act like a recipe for rot.
- Trash buildup across the city adds another layer of stench.
- Cockroaches and public health concerns escalate frustration.
A City Under Siege by Its Own Drains
It is the scent no one ordered: that unmistakable cocktail of sewage, rot, and August heat. In Heraklion, residents are throwing their hands in the air — and closing their windows — as an unbearable odor wafts through entire blocks.
At first, locals thought it was the sewers. The smell had all the notes of a busted pipe. But according to the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Heraklion (DEYAH), the culprit is sneakier: storm drains.
These drains, meant for rainwater, are being misused. Instead of storm runoff, they now collect household “cleaning” water and other illegal waste. Under the Cretan sun, the stagnant puddles ferment, releasing a miasma strong enough to chase residents indoors.
DEYAH’s Spin and the Bigger Picture
DEYAH rushed to reassure citizens after complaints in Pateles, promising immediate cleaning, lime treatments, and an August-wide program to clear nearly 13,000 drains. A noble promise, but the odor tells its own story.
- Storm drains abused: people pouring dirty water directly into them.
- Summer heat: stagnant water turns into a fermentation vat.
- Sewer clogs: restaurant grease still slipping past the grease traps.
- Garbage crisis: heaps of uncollected trash across the city, under prosecutor review, adding another layer to the olfactory assault.
One resident summed it up plainly: “We cannot even sit on our balconies. The smell forces us to hide inside.”
For now, Heraklionites must breathe shallow, wait for the lime trucks, and hope that someone finally remembers: a storm drain is not a garbage chute.
