New sewerage infrastructure in Marathon municipality, Greece

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Approximately 188 km of sewerage pipes will be laid in the agglomerations of Nea Makri and Marathon. They were required to have implemented wastewater collection systems by 31 December 2000 and 2005, respectively.Following their failure to do so, in October 2015, the European Court of Justice imposed a fine of EUR 3 640 000 for every six months’ delay in complying with the EU’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and a one-off penalty of EUR 10 000 000.Thus, implementation of the current project is a matter of urgency.Investing in infrastructureThe work includes installing about 27 km of main pipelines and 161 km of secondary and other pipelines, constructing 15 pumping stations and the Marathon wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). A substation, electricity distribution infrastructure and an automated control system for the plant will also be built. The treated wastewater will be channelled into the sea via a pipeline that will comprise a 1 150 m-long onshore- and a 1 050m-long undersea section.The WWTP will have a population equivalent (pe) capacity of 51 400. By 2060, with additional investment, this can be increased to 109 900 pe, when the population of the project area is projected to be 105 275 residents.After treatment by the Marathon WWTP, the sludge will be dehydrated and sent to the Psyttaleia WWTP, where it will be further dried and disposed of.Protecting the environmentThe investment will ensure compliance with the provisions of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Directive 91/171/EEC), the Water Framework Directive and with the Directive on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration.The treated effluent will be used for irrigation. This means that less water needs to be pumped from underground for this purpose, which will reduce salinisation and will eventually benefit the overall quality of the water in the area.Installing a sewage collection and treatment system with the capacity to handle the current population and its anticipated growth until 2060 –  as well as the influx of tourists in the summer months – will protect the environment and public health from the disposal of untreated, or insufficiently treated, wastewater.Preservation of the biodiversity, water resources and natural beauty of the 13 000-hectare Marathon municipality is vital as the area and its beaches are a popular tourist destination. In addition, it will enhance quality of life for the local population.Lastly, the project will help communicate to the population the importance of protecting the environment and the commitment of both the Greek government and the European Union to achieving this goal.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project ‘Collection, treatment of urban waste water of the Municipality of Marathon and disposal - reuse of treated effluents’ is EUR 140 398 081, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 84 027 827 through the ‘Attica’ Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority ‘Improving the quality of life in the urban environment’.