Greek water reserves double but stay below historic levels, expert warns

Dr. Elissavet Feloni, associate professor at the National Technical University of Athens, reported that the four main water reservoirs serving the Attica basin, the Aegean islands and Crete have nearly doubled their volumes in the first half of 2026, exceeding 750 million cubic metres compared with about 600 million cubic metres a year earlier. Despite this rise, “the reserves remain lower than historical normal values – the surface area of the Morpho reservoir is about 25 % smaller than the average,” she noted, citing satellite data.

She emphasized that the increase does not eliminate drought risk, linking low precipitation and higher temperatures to the broader climate crisis. EYDAP is responding with a €2.5 billion, decade‑long investment programme, including €23.6 million in immediate network upgrades to reduce losses. Feloni also criticised the new water‑pricing policy (Government Gazette 7188/B/30‑12‑2025), which shifts costs from variable consumption to fixed charges, adding roughly €30 per household annually and raising concerns about social fairness. She called for strict public oversight of the large‑scale Eurýtos project, transparent cost management and full environmental protection of affected areas.