EYATH facing the climate crisis

The anti-flood projects are a critical “tool” to shield Central Macedonia from the effects of climate change, given that the deficiencies and greatest risks are also found in them. This was the conclusion of yesterday’s workshop on “Adaptation of the Region of Central Macedonia to climate change”, organized by the Region of Central Macedonia, the Union of Regions of Greece, the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece and the Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture.

The challenges of climate change for the water supply and sewerage companies, and in particular for EYATH, were presented by the managing director of the company, Anthimos Amanatidis. “Increasing periods of drought and water scarcity, managing stormwater and mixed urban runoff in extreme flooding events and with urban drainage systems “dormant” to large, rapid changes, pollution of water after extreme rainfall incidents, causing runoff nutrient and chemical pollutants” is one of the most serious problems caused by the climate crisis in our sector, noted Mr. Amanatidis.

“With the EU’s new environmental strategy for zero pollution and the stricter environmental requirements, there is a conflict of requirements for more advanced but also energy-intensive wastewater treatment and at the same time for climate-energy neutrality”, Mr. Amanatidis pointed out, stressing that the water supply agencies – sewerage already promote citizen information programs and educational programs to support sustainable water use, consumption reduction, while at the same time promoting solutions for the reuse of treated wastewater or the use of alternative resources. The managing director of EYATH finally presented the measures taken by the company in this context, in order to preserve the water resource and reduce its energy footprint, such as the use of smart water meters, the hydraulic simulation of the aqueducts, the remote management of the networks, the energy upgrade of facilities and the supply of electricity from RES through PPAs.