Salonica thirsty for second day
Large parts of Thessaloniki remained without water for a second day yesterday due to ruptures in the city’s main pipe, which has been untended for nearly 30 years. The problem began on Tuesday and, despite assurances, water officials were not able to restore normal flow to eastern and central parts of the city yesterday. The lack of water stems from two ruptures in the Aravissos pipe, which supplies Thessaloniki with 40 percent (120,000 cubic meters) of its daily drinking water. The pipe has not undergone maintenance since it was built in 1978, said Sakis Tzakopoulos, managing director of the Thessaloniki Water and Sewage Company. Tzakopoulos said efforts were being made to divert water to eastern Thessaloniki, particularly hospitals, from other parts of the city and asked residents to be patient. The problem should be solved this afternoon but 200 million euros must be spent on modernizing the city’s water system over the next 30 years, Tzakopoulos added.
