The bet on water sustainability

EYATH’s strategy for the possibility of water shortages was unveiled by its CEO, Anthimos Amanatidis, from the podium of the conference “Central Macedonia on a Fast Forward course” organized by the newspaper “Macedonia tis Kyriakis”.

Mr. Amanatidis was reassuring about the adequacy of water reserves in Thessaloniki, explaining that “according to the data we have at our disposal, in collaboration with PPC, it appears that by 2030 water supply is fully covered, even in the most difficult scenarios, climate or infrastructure, without this of course meaning that we should not constantly keep our minds on the rational use of the resource”. He explained that currently, approximately 60% of the water for the City Planning Department is drawn from Aliakmonas and approximately 40% from Aravissos, “with the ratio being in favor of Aliakmonas in the winter, so that Aravissos can “rest”, while the opposite is done during summer, so that irrigation during the warm months from surface water is facilitated”.

In response to the question about water losses, Mr. Amanatidis praised the role of research and modern technologies: “Innovation with modern technologies can play a decisive role in the protection of water, in the efficiency of our resources and infrastructure. The application of modern technologies (such as AI, big data analysis, machine learning or smart metering) to existing water supply and sewage systems can bring new perspectives for their management. Energy saving and renewable energy production are also important tools for improving the efficiency of our sector in general.”

The CEO of EYATH made special mention of the installation of a total of 200,000 smart water meters, for which a relevant contract was recently signed with two consortiums, as well as the expansion and modernization of the telemetry and remote control system (SCADA) of the EYATH network for its optimal operation.

In the same panel, on “environmental challenges and the bet on sustainability”, major issues of the wider Thessaloniki area were discussed, such as the regeneration of the western front, the management of urban solid waste, recycling and “green” energy.