Celebrating Water Day at public water fountains!

“Date at the public fountains!” This year, EYATH celebrates World Water Day, March 22, in a joint action with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and Greenpeace that highlights the importance of the network of shared taps for the quality of life of our fellow citizens and the protection of the environment.

Specifically, on Friday, March 22, at the statue of Alexander the Great in Nea Paralia, Thessaloniki, a stand will be set up that will distribute informational material about the citizens’ right to adequate network of water fountains in public places, while at the same time it will be placed voluntarily by the Employees’ Union of EYATH ( SEEVATH) the first new tap in Nea Paralia. The others along the sea front will follow, following the agreement made by the mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, with the administration of the Greek Water Sports Authority at the beginning of last February. It was then agreed that EYATH, with its workers’ union, would change the taps along Nea Paralia, but also

the company undertakes the restoration of the functioning of the hydraulic mechanisms in the fountains of the Upper Town (for the overall restoration, consultation between the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Ephorate of Antiquities is foreseen).

An information stand will also be set up in the center of Thessaloniki, in Agia Sofia-Tsimiski Street, with material on the obligation – by law – of municipalities and communities that have a drinking water network to have communal taps in municipal sports facilities and playgrounds. At the same time, the importance of public taps for the protection of the environment will be highlighted by encouraging the use of reusable packaging.

The wide network of Greenpeace volunteers also participates in the action, who together with the Greek office of the organization are already running the “Date at the taps” program, which aims to ensure drinking water everywhere and access to an adequate network of public taps for everyone. In fact, through the program webpage, citizens can see on a map where there are public taps, which ones work and which ones don’t, while they can also add the public taps they find. With this program, Greenpeace claims to defend the undeniable right of all of us to clean, drinking water, the reduction of single-use plastics and waste, as well as the rational use of water.

World Water Day 2024 is dedicated by the United Nations to the need to work together for equal access to water resources for all people, so that water becomes the catalyst for a more peaceful world. The UN reminds us that water can be a vehicle for peace when communities and countries work together harmoniously for this precious natural resource, but it can also cause conflict when it is not accessible to all and not distributed fairly .

The stands in Ag. Sophia – Tsimiski St. and at the statue of M. Alexandros in N. Paralia will be set up on Friday from 10 am. until 2 p.m.