Leros, Symi, Karpathos, Astypalaia and Patmos, all declared in a state of emergency because of water scarcity, were placed at the centre of a support plan for island water services proposed by Dodecanese MP Manos Konsolas.
Mr Konsolas submitted his intervention to the environment and energy minister and the shipping and island policy minister, arguing that drought and the increase in water use caused by tourism required a comprehensive and effective response.
He said water demand on Karpathos rises by 344 per cent during the summer season.
The Municipality of Leros received EUR 327,600 in 2025 to operate and maintain its desalination units for one year, but he said the pressure would remain in 2026 and the years ahead.
On Symi, the municipal water and sewerage utility owed EUR 2 million to the Public Power Corporation because of the energy consumed by desalination plants.
Main problems facing island water services
- High energy charges for desalination plants. Without action, debts owed by municipal utilities and island municipalities will continue to grow or the cost will be passed to consumers.
- Existing debts owed to the Public Power Corporation, creating severe financial pressure for municipal water utilities and island authorities.
- Shortages of specialist and experienced staff, together with difficulty managing public contracts and securing environmental permits for water supply and desalination projects.
- A digital transformation gap in water management, wastewater treatment and the reuse of treated water.
Six measures proposed
- Create a 10-year technical support programme for municipal water utilities and island municipalities using European and national funds.
- Introduce a reduced electricity tariff or cover part of the energy cost of island desalination plants through the state budget, lowering operating costs without burdening residents.
- Establish a special framework to restructure debts owed by municipal water utilities and island municipalities to the Public Power Corporation.
- Use flexible licensing procedures for renewable energy projects supplying power to island desalination units.
- Create a dedicated funding programme for municipal water utilities and island water services to build water reuse infrastructure.
- Commission studies on the practical use of artificial intelligence by municipal water utilities and island municipal services according to local circumstances.
Full parliamentary intervention
Addressing the two ministers, Mr Konsolas said water scarcity and the increased consumption associated with tourism had created a new reality for island communities.
Within the Dodecanese alone, Astypalaia, Karpathos, Patmos, Leros and Symi had been declared in a state of emergency.
Meeting higher demand during the tourist season while also dealing with drought was extremely difficult, he said, and required comprehensive management supported by effective measures.
Karpathos, for example, experiences a 344 per cent increase in water needs during summer.
He acknowledged that the shipping and island policy ministry had supported island municipalities within its available resources. Leros was a characteristic example, having received EUR 327,600 in 2025 to operate and maintain desalination units for one year.
However, he said the needs in 2026 and the years that followed remained pressing.
A bill already released for consultation proposed faster procedures for water supply and desalination projects considered necessary to secure adequate supplies.
Under those provisions, bids for qualifying projects could be submitted within 10 working days, with a contractor selected quickly on the basis of the best financial offer. Desalination plants would also benefit from a faster licensing process.
Mr Konsolas said these measures did not remove the many established problems facing municipal water utilities and the water services of island municipalities.
Problems requiring solutions
The first was the high energy cost of island desalination units. If this was not addressed, debts owed to the Public Power Corporation would increase or the expense would be transferred to consumers.
The second was the existing debt held by municipal water utilities and island municipalities, which had created a condition of financial suffocation. Symi's utility alone owed EUR 2 million.
The third was a shortage of specialist and experienced personnel, combined with an inability among some island utilities and municipal water services to manage public contracts. Difficulties were also recorded in obtaining environmental licences for water and desalination works.
The fourth was the lack of digital transformation in water management, wastewater treatment and reuse.
Mr Konsolas said these problems required immediate action and asked the state to examine six proposals.
- A 10-year programme of technical assistance funded through European and national resources.
- A reduced electricity tariff or state coverage of part of desalination energy costs so operating expenses fall without increasing household bills.
- A special arrangement for debts owed to the Public Power Corporation.
- Flexible renewable energy licensing for projects supplying island desalination plants.
- A dedicated programme financing water reuse infrastructure for island utilities and municipal services.
- Studies assessing how artificial intelligence could be used by each utility or island municipal service.
He asked the ministers what measures they intended to take, in light of these proposals and existing government planning, to provide a comprehensive and effective response to the problems confronting municipal water utilities and island water services.
The parliamentary question was signed by Manos Konsolas, MP for the Dodecanese.
Read more from Leros News in English.
