Some days ago We received a series of letters from residents of the municipality of Markopoulo Mesogaia who strongly protested against the prospect of establishing a Wastewater Treatment Center just out of it airport of Spata as all the dirt of the nearby municipalities will be transported there, but then through pipelines they will flow treated on the sea front of their municipality and especially in the area of Chamolia, very close to the archeological site of Vravronas.
We asked the mayor of Markopoulou, Mr. Konstantinos Allagiannis, to state his own point of view, certifying whether the situation is really so tragic. "They decided for us without us," he said from the beginning, giving an interview to newsbeast. "Without having information, without anyone notifying us, their final recipient wastewater of the Treatment Center, with a total construction cost of 133 million euros, will be the entrance to the bay Porto Rafti which belongs to our municipality "he adds.
It should be noted that in this Center will be transferred all the sewage of the coastal front that runs through the municipality of Saronikos, ie the areas of Anavyssos, Agios Dimitrios, Lagonisi, Saronida, Palea Fokea and Thymari. The relevant pipelines that will end at the sea of the municipality of Markopoulos will have a length of 52 km and will be mediated by 13 pumping stations.
"We argue that each municipality should manage its wastewater within the administrative boundaries it holds," said Mr. Allagiannis. Initially there were two different studies to solve the problem but in the process they were abandoned. One was hers EYDAP and wanted to create the Wastewater Treatment Center in the area of Gerakina of Palea Fokea where the environmental studies but this plan was abandoned, as was the prospect of connecting its coastal front. Eastern Attica to Psyttalia, which could accept sewage ".
"Nevertheless, some people thought that in order to solve the sewerage problem of the coastal front of the Saronic Gulf, they should bring all the sewage to us. The tactics of those in charge push our indignant local community into reactions and undesirable practices in order to impose logic and ensure a auspicious future for them. residents and their children "notes mayor who according to information at this time seeks to make an appointment both with him Minister of Environment and Energy Kosti Hatzidaki as with him Regional Governor Attica George Patouli to present his views to them.
Its inhabitants Markopoulou ironically claim that "soon we will have the most beautiful havouza of Attica" and have united in order to prevent the prospect of pouring the treated wastewater into the sea of their area, creating groups on social media and holding protest rallies such as the one that will take place on Sunday at seven in the afternoon from the Federation of Associations of Porto Rafti and a number of other organizations at the point of the supermarket Gegos, of course observing all the necessary protection measures.
The full text of the interview with Mayor Markopoulou Mr. Konstantinos Allagiannis is as follows:
- Mayor, can you explain to us how this story started with the Wastewater Treatment Center?
We took over in September 2019. From July 2018 there was a plan, a choice of EYDAP, the coastal front of the municipality of Saronikos (and when we say coastal front we mean Anavyssos, Palea Fokea, Saronida, Lagonisi - which includes Agios Dimitrios and Agia Marina which are within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Koropi), to come with 52 km of pipeline and 13 pumping stations, to transfer the wastewater of these areas to the Wastewater Treatment Center of Koropi - Peania which is under construction.
In this Center will fall the sewage of Koropi, Paiania, Markopoulo, Kalivia, Kouvaras plus Porto Rafti, ie our coastal front that belongs to the municipality of Markopoulo. The project is contracted and will fall there once the project is completed. Despite the fact that the final recipient of the Wastewater Treatment Center will be by pipeline the sea area of Chamolia which belongs to our administrative boundaries, we have no official information, no one has notified us about it.
- Have you ever been asked, even to submit your opinion as a municipal authority?
No, we have never been consulted and we have protested. Everything that happened, became a secret, without us even knowing it, and essentially the pretext or the "Trojan horse", was the circular economy: the reuse of water for irrigation of the Mediterranean plain. That is, under the pretext that "guys, we will bring sewage that we will of course treat in the Koropi - Paiania Treatment Center, so that with tertiary treatment we have water for irrigation and give it to the farmers of Paiania, Markopoulos, Koropi and the rest ".
- Who made this?
This was done by EYDAP - not for free, for a fee of course, we do not discuss this μείς We react to this plan of EYDAP (where Paiania and Koropi agree and of course the municipality of Saronikos), because we have as our basic principle and position that each municipality must manage wastewater within its administrative boundaries.
We can not constantly take the sewage of other municipalities. We have already taken other municipalities, do not add more. We can not be burdened with extra wastewater as clean as it is after treatment as we are told, as long as the water is reused.
- Are there alternatives?
There were two studies. A study by EYDAP to become a wastewater treatment center in the area of Gerakina Old Phocaea where the environmental studies were even licensed, but it was abandoned for some reasons. The other study was also abandoned regarding the connection of the coastal front with Psytallia, which may receive additional sewage (for those who may not know, Psyttalia is a small island in the Saronic Gulf located between the port of Piraeus and Salamina, where the largest biological wastewater treatment plants in Europe operate on its territory, serving almost all of Attica). So they thought that in order to solve the sewerage problem of the coastal front of the Saronic Gulf, they should bring them here.
- Now, are you in mobilizations?
The residents and the whole municipal council as a whole and unanimously protest strongly against this process, because we were not asked and in any case we do not want the wastewater of another municipality or other municipalities in the Wastewater Treatment Center that will be discharged to sea of Chamolia.
We have made some mobilizations, for example on Friday the 3rd of the month we closed the road of Attiki Odos for a while, but for a very short time so as not to burden the drivers, while we will now hold a protest rally on Sunday at 19:00 in Porto Rafti, at point of the supermarket Gegos, without closing roads.
- When was the last time you met with the representatives of EYDAP?
On June 26, we went to be informed by the company, but it did not work out. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the representatives of the municipality about the planning of the disposal of the wastewater of the coastal front of the Municipality of Saronikos at the Wastewater Treatment Center Paianias - Koropi and in the sea area of Chamolia. Instead of this information, however, the time was spent by EYDAP in the extensive presentation of the benefits of reusing recycled water for irrigation of the region's crops and the enrichment of the aquifer.
In the reasonable protest of the representatives of our municipality, that the purpose of the informative meeting was different and concerned the specific planning and the reason for which it is proposed, no specific answer was given, while the clear intention of EYDAP to proceed with the implementation of the 18 months ago its decision, even without the social acceptance of the project by the municipality of Markopoulou. In other words, to love.
- Will you move legally?
We asked to see the study and we were told to form a working group of technical and service agents plus the political leadership of the municipality and see what they want and we are in this process… We will appeal legally to every move of EYDAP, but it has not been done still some environmental study, some study on irrigation. We clearly do not want sewage here, since there are two other alternatives that could well be implemented as I told you.
- How much will this whole project cost with wastewater treatment?
Imagine that the budget of this project is 133 million - according to EYDAP estimates. With much less money, there could be no 52 km pipeline, 13 pumping stations, no expropriations to be paid, but… the contractor's interest is the contractor's profit in it.
I believe that the Sewage Treatment Center will be finished in one and a half years. Regarding the transportation of sewage, EYDAP told us that they have submitted tender documents and are waiting for the auction to be financed by the NSRF 2021-2027 and to proceed - but this will not happen immediately.
- Have you made sure to see government representatives?
I am now trying to make an appointment with the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostis Hatzidakis but also with the Attica Regional Governor George Patoulis so that we can present our views and theirs.
- Is it estimated that the government is advocating with the solution proposed by EYDAP?
It is probably a political decision for the project to proceed in this way, because they are no longer funded by it European Union new Sewage Treatment Centers, so this is a nice way. He tells you, Eastern Attica and the shores of the Saronic Gulf must definitely be drained. Correct and logical. What is the solution? According to them, the one we disagree with, which by the way is not the most economical. This was also told to us by EYDAP.
- That is, as we understand, it is neither the most economical nor the most ecological solution that is preferred…
Indeed, it is not the most ecological solution. In the plain of the Mediterranean, and I am talking about the plain of the municipality of Markopoulo, we have our figs that have a designation of origin, we have our fruits and vegetables, we have our peanuts, we have our vineyards and so many others for which there are drillings and irrigated. The water that is used there is of excellent quality and not brass that EYDAP tells us.
(Exterior photo: Archive)