Sewage decision questioned
A prosecutor launched an investigation yesterday into the state of the capital’s main sewage plant after the local authority decided to revoke its license, a move the water board says would lead to untreated waste being dumped into the sea off Piraeus. Grigoris Peponis ordered a preliminary probe into the operation of the Psyttaleia plant, located off the coast of Piraeus, after the local prefecture on Thursday ordered that the unit be shut down because of the buildup of waste and residents’ complaints about the stink. Peponis is also looking into the delays in projects to transport and compress the sewage. Athens Water Company (EYDAP), which runs Psyttaleia, is appealing against the revocation of its license. Officials said that although 180,000 tons of sludge had amassed at the plant, there was no danger of it seeping into the sea. They added that if the unit stopped working, 700,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage would spew into the sea each day. They claimed that some waste is being taken to the Ano Liosia dump and that a unit to compact the sewage will be ready in three years.
