Symi looking at power outage
Residents on the far-flung island of Symi may be looking at extended power and water cuts unless a desalination plant on the island pays its overdue electricity bill, Public Power Corporation (PPC) warned on Tuesday.
The desalination plant on the southeastern Aegean island was constructed in 2009 at a cost of 5.5 million euros in the hope that it would make the arid island less dependent on water imports from mainland Greece, which cost the state some 5 million euros annually.
However, PPC said on Tuesday that the plant has run up and outstanding electricity bill of 55,000 euros and warned that if some arrangement is not made soon, it would be compelled to cut the power supply to the entire island.
Meanwhile, managers at the desalination plant have applied to the government to send specialized personnel to work at the facility, saying that it is currently staffed by employees on short-term contracts who have no prior experience and expertise in this kind of work.
