The Viannos water supply network has finally caught the attention (and budget) of the people in charge. After years of living with water pipes about as reliable as a weather forecast, the region’s leadership decided to upgrade systems for six settlements. The promise? Newly buried networks, cutting-edge materials, and a finish that, theoretically, meets all the latest standards, except for maybe psychic leak prevention.
The real headline: €918,000 in public money is now allocated to drag the area’s water system into the present. There will be a brand-new underground reservoir for the combined use of Xenias, Katofigio, Milliara, and Emparos. Meanwhile, residents of Kafalovrisi, tired of playing “guess the pipe burst,” get underground polyethylene pipes, which sound almost fancy enough not to break next year. The Plaka area in Upper Viannos and Tertsa in Sykologos score their own new pipes beneath the ground, replacing networks that have been aging not so much like wine as unrefrigerated milk.
Or, as officials might put it, the aim is to “improve water supply conditions in the Municipality of Viannos, promote responsible and sustainable management of water resources, cut down on losses, and ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, high-quality drinking water.” If only water could read press releases; maybe it would stay in the pipes.
Project Scope: What Will Happen?
- One glitzy collector reservoir for the water supply of Xenias, Katofigio, Milliara, and Emparos
- Replacement of the crumbling Kafalovrisi community water network with new, underground polyethylene pipes
- Refitting the Plaka neighborhood’s network in Upper Viannos with much-needed buried piping
- The external water supply network for Tertsa, belonging to Sykologos, was replaced with new polyethylene infrastructure
Brimming with the satisfaction only a press release can offer, the Mayor of Viannos took the opportunity for some words—because words are cheaper than pipes. “With methodical planning, responsibility, and persistent effort, the Municipality of Viannos secured €918,000 for interventions and upgrades of water supply networks in our settlements,” he stated, presumably with the hint of a smile.
He continued, “We struggle every day, facing many difficulties, doing our utmost to respond to every call for funding, whether from the Region of Crete or from central government, in order to provide better infrastructure for our citizens. I thank my associates, the vice-mayors, the municipal council, the Technical Service of the Municipality of Viannos—without their valuable help and assistance, we wouldn’t have been able to pursue these funding opportunities.” And, knowing whom to flatter, he added, “A big thank you to the Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, for his cooperation, support, and his decision to fund such an important project for our municipality.”
No mention if the new infrastructure will help with drought, but at least the pipes will be shiny and new when the rain finally arrives.
