ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITES FOR WATER SUFFICIENCY IN MANI
As the summer season begins, a familiar debate resurfaces in Mani about whether the water supply provided by municipal water services is sufficient to meet consumption demands. In reality, this conversation should be taking place at the end of the previous summer season, not at the onset of a new one. It does not take much reflection for any reasonable observer to reach the conclusion that water sufficiency is not a matter for superficial approach. It requires holistic planning and effective management—particularly by those who bear the responsibility and have been entrusted with creating adequate water supply in their regions. These are the areas for which they were elected to manage crucial issues affecting both the present and the future, and among these, water sufficiency ranks as one of the most pressing—especially given the significant growth of tourism in the region.
A key prerequisite for any planning—especially on critical issues such as water—is the objective recording of the data. Only then can planning be translated into specific measures, projects, and actions whose completion will lead to the desired outcome of sufficiency. Management competence in dealing with such complex issues is not an honorary title; it either emerges or not from the objective capabilities of the personnel who, through the electoral process, have been given the mandate to manage these critical regional concerns, such as water sufficiency. Where such capacity is lacking, legislation provides the option to enhance the local administration by hiring qualified staff possessing such skills —within, of course, the financial means of the governing body.
Our newspaper, Maniot Solidarity, intervenes in this discussion in an advisory capacity, drawing on experience from effective actions undertaken by members of our administrative team in previous decades.
It is our view that the water accumulated annually in the region of Mani—in the form of surface springs and underground basins—has the potential to meet current population needs, and even allow for moderate future growth. The primary evidence for this comes from the springs flowing from the Agia Marina cave in Eastern Mani, which—thanks to the geological composition of its rocks—can be easily captured and channelled for consumption, without pumping costs, due to elevation differences. Such favourable conditions do not exist on the western slopes of Taygetos. However, the transverse fault that extends to both sides of the mountain is the same. On the eastern side, it feeds the river Smynos, which winds its way to the beach of Mavrovouni in Gytheio. On the western side, the fault leads from Kato Chora of Milea to the submarine springs (βλυχάδες) of Stoupa.
In conclusion: The long and majestic Taygetos range conceals within its depths vast water reservoirs. This water is gathered from its expansive slopes and snow-covered peaks, as well as from the drainage basin of Megalopolis at the mountain’s northern edge. Due to the limestone character and the metamorphic nature of most of its rocks, the largest volume of water slides deep into its bowels, from where most overflows and springs emerge.
These observations make clear—even to the naked eye—the process that research must follow in order to make use of the water currently being lost to the sea. A naïve approach would focus on springs discharging directly into the sea. However, given the high energy cost of pumping, the difficulty of maintaining a steady flow across submerged channels, and especially the additional cost of transporting the water to the elevated areas where it is needed, this solution must be rejected outright. Research for locating underground basins must be oriented towards areas near the terrestrial fault and always avoiding soils with possible salinisation from seawater inflow due to its greater penetrating capacity. This method represents the only viable path toward harnessing a portion of the abundant water resources with which Taygetos has endowed Mani—resources that, unfortunately, remain largely untapped. It is essential to seek scientific support from the appropriate state agency, the Hellenic Authority for Geological and Mineral Research (ΕΑΓΜΕ – Ελληνική Αρχή Γεωλογικών και Μεταλλευτικών Ερευνών), the successor to the Institute of Geological and Mineral Exploration (ΙΓΜΕ – Ινστιτούτο Γεωλογικών και Μεταλλευτικών Ερευνών). Directing research efforts towards areas identified by major land ruptures (streams, ravines) will increase the chances of locating underground flow paths that currently carry freshwater into the sea.
In the past three decades, hundreds of thousands of euros have been spent on failed attempts to enhance the water supply in Mani—especially in the western part. It is therefore crucial that the understandable concern of local authorities be paired with mature, data-driven planning and a synthetic understanding of all relevant factors.
In the short term, efforts should focus on addressing the numerous leaks—both hidden and visible—within the water supply network. At the same time, the revenue collection system must be made more efficient to help balance the budget. Finally, once the summer season ends, it is imperative that a more effective approach be developed to tackle this vital issue—so central to the sustainable development of our region.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
