Water consumption hits all-time record
Water consumption in Athens hit an all-time record on Monday, with Athenians using over 1.4 million cubic meters of the capital’s precious reserves, the water company (EYDAP) was quoted as saying yesterday. According to newspaper reports, EYDAP Chairman and Managing Director Lefteris Tzellas said consumption declined slightly over the following days, but remained high, despite the fact that temperatures fell from Monday’s high of 35 degrees Celsius (95F). He said consumption is usually high on Mondays, reaching some 1.1 million cubic meters on average. Furthermore, to date, consumption has steadily been between 5-6 percent higher this year than in 2001. However, reserves are higher than they were a year ago, standing at 639.25 million cubic meters on Wednesday – 53.82 million cubic meters more than on June 20, 2001. The seamen interpreted Christodoulakis’s refusal as a withdrawal of promises and returned to port. So now the burden has been transferred to the tourist economy in general. It is obvious that the current crisis is nothing more than the expression of the government’s inconsistency and vagueness on this crucial issue; one more incident among many in the government’s policy of vacillation, bound to result in crises, large or small.
