Borehole survey makes some illuminating discoveries

Drilling more wells seems to be the most common response to the water shortages Greece has been experiencing in recent years, and especially so this summer, when scarcity reached alarming levels in many parts of the country. How right is this, however, for a country that only recently obtained a proper record of its active wells and boreholes? And even that record is not complete yet, as the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (EAGME) finished mapping 85% of such water sources this year, with the rest waiting for fresh European Union funding to be completed.

“EAGME’s crews scoured the Greek countryside. We recorded the precise location of the boreholes, who they’re owned by, what they’re used for, how deep they are and how often they are used, and one of the first general conclusions we drew is that there are fewer wells in Greece than scientists initially believed,” says the project’s scientific supervisor, Panagiotis Sabatakakis, a doctor in hydrogeology, a member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and director of water resources at EAGME.

All this information, he explains, is sent to the Environment Ministry, which commissioned the survey, so that it can be incorporated into policy planning related to water resource management.

EAGME has so far recorded some 110,000 boreholes across the country and estimated that there are another 20,000 to 25,000 to go, mainly in the Peloponnese, but also on the islands of the Ionian and parts of the Cyclades.

“We had initially estimated that there were between 160,000 and 170,000, while some local and regional authorities had even spoken about 400,000 wells – a truly impossible number,” Sabatakakis tells Kathimerini, noting that illegal wells are also fewer than estimated, coming to around 10% of the whole.

Nevertheless, 135,000 wells still seems like quite a significant number for such a small country. “Greece needs a lot of boreholes, both because of its geomorphology and climate, but also because of its huge need for water supply and irrigation. Without them, our farmers would not be able to grow their crops and we would not be able to supply water to most municipalities,” says Sabatakakis.

Commenting on some of the other findings of the survey, the expert notes that Epirus in northwestern Greece and the western part of central Greece have adequate water resources thanks to their natural springs, lakes and rivers, while the areas facing the biggest shortages include Thessaly in the east of central Greece and the islands of the Cyclades – due to intensive agricultural activity and tourism, respectively.

“Thessaly is especially stretched, with some 23,000 boreholes… and the Cyclades are absolutely riddled with holes,” he says.

“Unfortunately, there’s also some nefarious activity concerning the way that swimming pools are kept filled on these islands,” Sabatakakis adds of the popular Aegean archipelago. “We have information indicating that many are filled with water from boreholes. Big tourist accommodation units must build their own desalination units. Mayors cannot be responsible for deciding whether to give water to big businesses at the expense of the citizens.”

Another area that seems to be in trouble is the Argos plain, with the expert noting that once the survey of the Peloponnese’s boreholes is complete, the problem there may even prove to be greater than in Thessaly.

EAGME has recorded some 110,000 boreholes in Greece and estimates there are another 20,000 to 25,000 to go

When did this well-digging frenzy begin?

Sabatakakis says it was in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as the country experienced an agricultural boom and water became the valuable commodity everyone was looking for to keep the burgeoning industry going.

The state was often unable to keep up with rising demand for water networks and infrastructure, like dams and irrigation systems, leading to unplanned water management by individual farmers and collectives.

“From Messara and Timbaki on Crete and all the way to Evros, there wasn’t a single agricultural area where drilling for wells was not intensive during that period,” he says. “By the 1980s and 90s, it was a proper pandemonium.”

Greece was also hit by a major drought in 1990 – with groundwater levels dropping by as much as 40% and rivers all over the country running dry – that spurred farmers to look for water at even greater depths. The same happened this year. “In some cases, a reduction of 40% has already been noted, and in others we have even seen drops of 50% and 60%. Nevertheless, it was the groundwater that kept us afloat this year,” says Sabatakakis, noting that this year’s drought cannot be described as worse than that in 1990 but demand is certainly much higher today than it was then, both for drinking water and irrigation.

It should be noted that tap water represents just 13-15% of total water consumption (ground or surface), while agriculture gobbles up the rest.

Elaborating further on the evolution of well drilling in this country, Sabatakakis notes the discovery of multiple cases where boreholes were permitted by the relevant authorities in areas that were not appropriate, resulting in wells sucking water from springs that were important to urban supply. Many such instances have been found in the Peloponnese, Central Greece and Thessaly, but even more so on the islands, where water is scarcer.

A typical example of such poor management concerns the springs that supply water to the Myloi district of Argos. “Right now, the springs have little if any water at all,” says Sabatakakis, explaining that drought is not what has caused this, but a network of hundreds of wells tapping the same supply basin as these precious springs.

The expert notes that these springs are also responsible for supplying the entire Argos plain, from Nafplio to Mycenae and the town of Argos itself, representing a population of 80,000 residents who are now facing the consequences of frequent cuts in water supply.

And this is not the only case by far. “Borehole licenses are given out in a completely unscientific manner. Basically the authorities say, ‘Dig such a distance from the spring and such a distance from the closest well, and go for it.’ That said, the departments responsible for this task are woefully understaffed, and especially in terms of the experts needed,” he laments.

The result, adds Sabatakakis, is that “taps in many seaside municipalities are running with intensely brackish water, while dozens of privately owned wells continue to operate in the same area.”

Another indication of the overexploitation of groundwater is that boreholes are getting deeper and deeper, reaching more than 600 meters in some parts of the country. The water table, however, is not filling back up at the same rate, meaning that these wells will inevitably run dry at some point – soon.

So, what needs to be done to reverse the damage and manage the country’s boreholes better, especially given the multiple impacts of the climate crisis?

Sabatakakis says that one of the most pressing needs right now is a plan to manage surface water with medium-scale reservoirs (small dams) which are properly located with regard to hydrological suitability and rising demand trends. He points to the Filiatrinos Dam, a project that could go a long way toward helping the situation in the southwestern Peloponnese but has been delayed for decades.