This popular Greek island is left without water due to sabotage

This is the fourth such incident in recent years affecting the water pipeline to Aegina

Greek media outlets reported that residents on Aegina Island have been left without drinking water for several days now and the suspicion is that the reason behind this was a sabotage on the pipeline delivering the potable liquid to the community.

According to officials, the cut in the supply is due to an explosive charge which severed the 12-km-long pipeline. Goast guard divers have found the damaged section.

Aegina is a weekend getaway for Athenians

Aegina is located in the Sardonic Gulf and represents the most convenient island getaway for busy and stressed residents of the Greek capital. With a hydrofoil from the port of Piraeus, it takes just 40 minutes to reach.

Visitors like to enjoy the rural scenery, well-preserved historic buildings in the main town and the oldest temple in Greece – the Temple of Aphaea. The island is also well known for its pistachios.

Being a small island of some 13,000 permanent inhabitants, however, means it has to rely on water supply from the mainland.

Authorities are of the opinion that the sabotage could have been caused by a rivalry between business interests competing for the lucrative contract to provide water. In any case, criminal investigation proceedings have been launched.

“Our priority is to upgrade and update our security measures so that this critical infrastructure is not subject to another act of sabotage,” promised Nikos Hardalias, governor of Greater Athens. 

In the meantime, the authorities have shipped in 13.5 tonnes of water in order to meet the needs of the population while the pipeline is being repaired. The works could take several weeks to complete.

The latest incident is the fourth recorded in recent years in the underwater pipeline of Aegina. Unfortunately, in the previous cases, the culprits had not been identified.