EU targets Greece for bad water
More than 180,000 people in parts of Greece are drinking water contaminated with toxic substances, according to recent studies, a development that has prompted the EU to take the country to court. According to tests carried out by the Health Ministry and an unnamed international research body, the drinking water in 18 municipalities, mainly in central Macedonia, was found to contain traces of nitrate, ammonia and arsenic, sources said. Brussels is threatening to take Greece to court over its failure to take action on the problem, which the government has known about since 1999. Sources said that the European Commission sent a letter recently to the government calling for steps to help improve the water but little has been done so far to solve the problem. Brussels is proposing to co-fund a complete action plan that will tackle the problem. Contaminated water was also detected in Corinth and Evia, among other areas.
