Four villages of Elassona placed under civil emergency over uranium in water

Four communities in the municipality of Elassona in central Greece have been placed under a civil protection state of emergency, as ProtoThema reports, after laboratory analyses found uranium levels above the permitted limit in the water supply network. The decision was taken by an act of the Secretary General for Civil Protection and affects the communities of Kalivia, Olympiada, Sparmos and Pythio.

According to the mayor of Elassona, Nikos Gatsas, the development was confirmed after the relevant checks, while the Greek Atomic Energy Commission issued a certificate of unsuitability for the water due to the detection of uranium at values above the permitted limit. “I welcome with pleasure the decision of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection,” Gatsas said, adding that the decision “creates the conditions for the immediate mobilization and coordination of all competent services and bodies.”

The Municipality of Elassona and the municipal water and sewerage utility (D.E.Y.A.E.L.) announced that analyses for the uranium parameter were carried out in more than 50 settlements across the municipality’s territory. No elevated values were found in the other settlements — the problem was identified exclusively in Kalivia, Olympiada, Sparmos and Pythio. A ban on using water for drinking and cooking is already in force for these villages, until the necessary checks are completed and a new official announcement is made.

Authorities stress that the issue concerns only the settlements where the problem was found and that there should be no generalized concern about water in all of the municipality’s settlements. D.E.Y.A.E.L. says it is systematically monitoring the situation and continuing the checks and actions needed to address the problem and safely restore water use in the settlements under restrictions, while the municipality will continue to inform citizens responsibly and clearly about any new development.