In the Aegean islands, available water resources are limited, with uneven spatial and temporal distribution. As a result, in most islands, and especially during the summer months, shortages in potable water demand are very frequent.
Additionally, the absence in most settlements of sewerage and drainage networks, as well as of wastewater treatment plants and appropriate planning for effluent discharge, is a fully acknowledged problem.
Therefore there is an urgent need for the planning, implementation and operation of reliable water supply and sewerage systems able to meet (both in terms of quality and quantity) the mid-term needs of permanent and seasonal population, and which will form the basis for a sustainable socio-economic development.
Project Aims and Objectives
The target of this research project was to investigate the feasibility for the implementation of an integrated system for the provision of water supply and sewerage services in the Cyclades Islands and to determine the technical, financial and institutional conditions for its implementation. Therefore, the project complements and integrates research projects currently in progress that focus on the collection and elaboration of information for water resources and water supply. This project focused on issues relating to the water supply and sewerage system (implementation, operation, management, exploitation), attempting to examine the management issue mainly from the demand management side.
The rational exploitation and management of water resources and the implementation of a satisfactory water supply and sewerage system in the Aegean islands presents not only institutional/administrative and management difficulties, but also difficulties concerning the technical object per se. These result from the particularities and the non-homogenial character of the Aegean archipelagos islands. Thus, more appropriately adapted techno-economic solutions must be sought. The issue of suitable technology for hydraulic works, which is interrelated to other decisive components of the problem (i.e. energy, politics, investing/economic-managerial aspects, social issues) consequently comes into question. The absence of a water management plan, of a flexible authority responsible for the implementation and especially the operation of the works is the major and urgent problem. As far as this issue is concerned, the ability of EYDAP S.A. to play an important role should be underlined. EYDAP, in cooperation with municipal companies that provide water supply and sewerage services locally, can create a reliable system for the planning, implementation and management of these services in the region. Progress in the legal and operational regime of EYDAP, as well as its restructuring in order to effectively integrate service inputs and offer its services to other regions, should form a vital aspect of its strategic development.
Therefore, the basic objective of the research project was the analysis of current trends, both in the international and the national market, in the provision of water sector-related services, and the inference and the development of an operational strategy, applicable to the particularities of the Cycladic complex.
The project was financed by EYDAP S.A. and spanned a duration of 2 years (2000-2002).
Work plan
The work plan of the project consisted of four phases: Phase A: Regional Analysis; Phase B: Analysis of Requirements; Phase C: Definition of an operational framework; Phase D: Analysis of technical and economic parameters. These are briefly outlined below.
Phase A: Regional analysis
WP A1: Regional analysis and typology development
WP A2: Analysis of physical characteristics and technical infrastructure of the 5 selected geographical entities
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Data collection on available water resources, extent of island dependence on external water resources (transfer from the mainland).
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Analysis of proposed scenarios for water supply from local and external (transferred) water resources.
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Data collection on water supply and sewerage networks and facilities.
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Identification of current practices in water supply, distribution and sewerage services, analysis of water quantity and quality related issues.
WP A3: Analysis of demand for water supply and sewerage services in the 5 selected geographical entities
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Collection of demographic, economic and social data
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Collection of data, estimates and projections for water demand and supply allocation among different sectors (domestic use, irrigation and industrial use).
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Collection of data and estimates on sewerage and drainage networks (where the latter are considered necessary).
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Collection of data on current water supply and sewerage costs for each water use sector, estimation of opportunity costs.
WP A4: Overall appraisal of the current framework for water service provision in the 5 selected geographical entities
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Economic and social impacts from water shortage and lack of infrastructure.
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Assessment of future economic and social costs.
WP A5: Development of a database for the 5 selected geographical entities
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Utilization of existing GIS material, aerial photographies and orthophotomaps.
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Attribution of data on appropriate cartographic layers (1:2000 for agglomerations, 1:5000 or 1:10.000 for larger areas-municipalities).
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Development of a decision support tool.
Phase B: Condition analysis
WP B1: Analysis of international experience
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Analysis of successful examples of integrated water resources management and operation of ISWSS, with particular emphasis on Mediterranean insular regions.
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Analysis of infrastructure and ISWSS operation.
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Analysis of the organisational framework.
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Analysis of the institutional framework.
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Analysis of financing mechanisms and investment schemes.
WP B2: Adjustment to the particularities of the system
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Selection of the appropriate parameters (technical, operational, organizational, institutional and financial).
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Definition of necessary actions.
Phase C: Definition of the operational framework
WP C1: Analysis of management responsibilities
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Description and analysis of technical and operational requirements (Demand analysis, prerequisites-assignment procedures-evaluation-implementation of previous studies and assessments, surveillance of water supply infrastructure and distribution networks, maintenance).
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Description and analysis of economic and management requirements (pricing, provision, contracts etc.)
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Description and analysis of implementation requirements (scheduling and financing of investments, public information).
WP C2: Analysis of the organisational scheme
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Definition of actors for each management responsibility (state, regional authorities, consumers, technical services etc.).
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Research on alternative organisational/ financial schemes which could guarantee a high quality of service for different levels of EYDAP S.A. involvement.
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Definition of technical and human resources that are required from EYDAP for the implementation of each scheme.
Phase D: Analysis of technical and economic parameters
WP D1: Estimation of investment and operational costs
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Definition of alternative scenarios. Estimation of cost elements for each alternative scenario.
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Estimation of expected revenues.
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Insertion of cost elements and prices in the decision support tool.
WP D2: Economic evaluation
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Analysis of economic performance for each organizational / financial scheme.
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Selection of the best organizational / financial scheme.
WP D3: Environmental impact assessment
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Estimation of environmental costs and benefits from the implementation of ISWSS (deterioration/protection of eco-systems, impacts on the human environment).
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Estimation of social costs and benefits from the implementation of ISWSS (job opportunities, regional development etc
WP D4: Planning & definition of appropriate actions
Definition of an implementation timetable.