A law was recently passed by the Parliament aimed at more effectively regulating water management. Its main feature is the restructuring of how water networks are managed. In most areas, except for Attica and the Thessaloniki region, management is handled by the municipalities through municipal water supply companies or through their own budget. The new law aims to establish and operate a water supply company in each prefecture (νομός), which will be responsible for both utilising springs and other water reserves, as well as for the development of distribution networks and the financial management of water consumption.

    The main impetus for this new legislation was the reduction of water reserves due to decreased rainfall and the ineffective way in which municipal water companies or municipalities have been managing water distribution. On one hand, these entities have accumulated deficits in their budgets, and on the other hand, they have unevenly distributed available water quantities, while failing to enhance their water reserves through necessary projects to exploit potential underground sources.

    Τhe issue also concerns the Mani region, which has so far only minimally utilised the water resources hidden within the Taygetus mountain range that runs through it. Furthermore, the management of water quantities distributed to consumers has been anything but fair.

    Because of the seriousness of this issue, we will closely monitor its development over the long period that will be required until this legislation reaches the level of practical implementation and will keep our readers informed.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD