Reportage 2025:
Karpathos dam in crisis: Million-euro project fails, sewage threatens
The Schoinas dam, which was supposed to solve Karpathos' water problems, has become a scandal. The project has been delayed for years (2015), and the budget has grown from 9 to 17 million euros without being completed.
The water supply is now threatened by a sewage leak from the village of Menetes. Due to Karpathos' limestone subsoil, the sewage seeps down towards the dam, which poses a serious contamination risk.
Although a temporary plant purifies some of the water, there is great uncertainty as to whether it can handle dangerous pathogens such as E. coli and chlorine-resistant parasites found in sewage.
The authorities face an urgent need to stop the leak and upgrade water treatment to avoid a public health and environmental catastrophe that could harm the island's important tourism.