Water supply problem in Corfu to be resolved
water supply
01 Dec 2021
/ 18:47
CORFU. Mayor Meropi Ydraiou: “The first desalination plant in Chrysida is being put out to tender by the end of December. The large dam project has been approved.”
Important projects that will improve and upgrade the residents’ daily life are underway to solve the long-standing water supply problem in Corfu.
Central Corfu Mayor and DIADEYAK President Meropi Ydraiou announced today at a press conference that, by the end of the year, the first desalination plant in Chrysida is being put out to tender, while slowly the large dam project in Horoepiskopi and Stroggili will begin to be implemented. Further updates on this project are expected in January.
Mrs. Ydraiou was informed of all the above in a recent meeting she had in Athens with the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Giorgos Karayiannis, as well as with members of the Ministry’s Directorate of Hydraulic Works, and stressed that the dam project has been approved.
The dam project
Mrs. Ydraiou said that the dam project is expected to provide a solution to Corfu’s water shortage problem, which had become a bit better in the last few years following many interventions by the Technical Works Department and DIADEYAK crews.
The large dam project will be conducted through public-private partnerships, while the calls for financial, technical and legal consultants have already been issued. The consultants will prepare the tender documents for the call for expressions of interest, so that the investing companies can submit their proposals. “Once these tender documents are prepared, they will have to be approved by the public-private partnerships Committee and then they will be published on the online platforms so that the interested companies can submit their proposals,” explained Mrs. Ydraiou.
She clarified that for these projects there will be no financial burden on DIADEYAK, the Corfu Municipalities or the citizens with an increase in fees. The investment will be partially covered by a European Investment Bank loan, which will be repaid to the company that will undertake the construction and implementation of the projects from the Ministry's Public Investment Programme over a period of 25 years. The investing company will be responsible for 27 years for the management, maintenance, operation, repairs and any damage that could be caused, as well as for the restoration and the proper implementation of the project and will then be transferred automatically to the Corfu Municipal Water Supply Company, which will exist by then.
The investing company will not have the right to sell the water. “In the fortunate circumstance of having a lot of extra water thanks to the dams, there will be an additional contract with DIADEDYAK, in which DEYAK will participate and collaborate, if required. Our main goal is to solve the water supply problem throughout the island, in all Municipalities, and to improve the water quantity and quality, so that in a few years we can avoid transportation of bottled water.
In January, we will have important developments on the dam project, if the public-private partnerships Committee approves the documents, i.e. the invitation. We will follow it closely, we will try to claim it and we will try to overcome any obstacle and push for a faster and smoother process, which is very important for everyone,” said Mrs. Ydraiou.
Desalination plants
Mrs. Ydraiou said that the desalination plant project in Chrysida is a 26-million-euro project and is a sub-project of the large dam project. “This means that we will have solved the island’s water supply problem to a very large extent and we will have improved the water quality. This will be followed by the award of the study for the second desalination plant in Kakotrafo, which will complement the first project, so that we have drinking water in Corfu Town. We have all been waiting for decades to finally see the water in our homes and businesses to have better quality,” said Mrs. Ydraiou.
Replacement of water pipes
Finally, as the Central Corfu Mayor said, DEYAK is expected to implement a multi-million package of projects through the ‘Antonis Tritsis’ programme in all three Municipalities in order to improve water supply facilities and infrastructure and replace water supply pipes. Mrs. Ydraiou will soon make announcements on this issue.
The General Director of Corfu DEYAK Mr. Haralambakis, the Head of DEYAK Tasos Katsaros and the members of Corfu DIADEYAK Board Mr. Armeniakos and Mr. Argyros were also present at the press conference.
Central Corfu Mayor and DIADEYAK President Meropi Ydraiou announced today at a press conference that, by the end of the year, the first desalination plant in Chrysida is being put out to tender, while slowly the large dam project in Horoepiskopi and Stroggili will begin to be implemented. Further updates on this project are expected in January.
Mrs. Ydraiou was informed of all the above in a recent meeting she had in Athens with the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Giorgos Karayiannis, as well as with members of the Ministry’s Directorate of Hydraulic Works, and stressed that the dam project has been approved.
The dam project
Mrs. Ydraiou said that the dam project is expected to provide a solution to Corfu’s water shortage problem, which had become a bit better in the last few years following many interventions by the Technical Works Department and DIADEYAK crews.
The large dam project will be conducted through public-private partnerships, while the calls for financial, technical and legal consultants have already been issued. The consultants will prepare the tender documents for the call for expressions of interest, so that the investing companies can submit their proposals. “Once these tender documents are prepared, they will have to be approved by the public-private partnerships Committee and then they will be published on the online platforms so that the interested companies can submit their proposals,” explained Mrs. Ydraiou.
She clarified that for these projects there will be no financial burden on DIADEYAK, the Corfu Municipalities or the citizens with an increase in fees. The investment will be partially covered by a European Investment Bank loan, which will be repaid to the company that will undertake the construction and implementation of the projects from the Ministry's Public Investment Programme over a period of 25 years. The investing company will be responsible for 27 years for the management, maintenance, operation, repairs and any damage that could be caused, as well as for the restoration and the proper implementation of the project and will then be transferred automatically to the Corfu Municipal Water Supply Company, which will exist by then.
The investing company will not have the right to sell the water. “In the fortunate circumstance of having a lot of extra water thanks to the dams, there will be an additional contract with DIADEDYAK, in which DEYAK will participate and collaborate, if required. Our main goal is to solve the water supply problem throughout the island, in all Municipalities, and to improve the water quantity and quality, so that in a few years we can avoid transportation of bottled water.
In January, we will have important developments on the dam project, if the public-private partnerships Committee approves the documents, i.e. the invitation. We will follow it closely, we will try to claim it and we will try to overcome any obstacle and push for a faster and smoother process, which is very important for everyone,” said Mrs. Ydraiou.
Desalination plants
Mrs. Ydraiou said that the desalination plant project in Chrysida is a 26-million-euro project and is a sub-project of the large dam project. “This means that we will have solved the island’s water supply problem to a very large extent and we will have improved the water quality. This will be followed by the award of the study for the second desalination plant in Kakotrafo, which will complement the first project, so that we have drinking water in Corfu Town. We have all been waiting for decades to finally see the water in our homes and businesses to have better quality,” said Mrs. Ydraiou.
Replacement of water pipes
Finally, as the Central Corfu Mayor said, DEYAK is expected to implement a multi-million package of projects through the ‘Antonis Tritsis’ programme in all three Municipalities in order to improve water supply facilities and infrastructure and replace water supply pipes. Mrs. Ydraiou will soon make announcements on this issue.
The General Director of Corfu DEYAK Mr. Haralambakis, the Head of DEYAK Tasos Katsaros and the members of Corfu DIADEYAK Board Mr. Armeniakos and Mr. Argyros were also present at the press conference.
