Two years ago we had a three year drought in South Africa's Eastern Cape region. We have learned to save as much water as we can.
We shower standing in a large flat plastic basin & save the water in buckets for flushing.
I have a pipe that carries the grey water from our washing machine into the garden to water the our lemon and avocado trees.
More importantly we have 4 x 5000 litre tanks to collect our rain water from the roof and a pump to send it into the house when our Municipal water runs out. It is reassuring to know we won't run out.
With climate change promising hotter, drier weather it might be worth considering.
Thanks, Gudrun. Glad you enjoyed it! Been getting lots of comments on different social media pages, and on Substack about the situation on other Greek islands, and in places like South Africa too. Makes me even more sure that we all need to work together as much as we can on Crete to conserve water!
I know there were areas last summer on the north coast with no water for weeks. It’s quite scary to hear about it so early in the year. I live near Kedros mountain which, as one of the villagers told me, always has a cloud on top. But water scarcity and wildfires are my biggest concern here. So, as you do, we conserve water, try not to waste it, and swim in the sea 😋
Yes, not a great fan of pools - and I know from researching articles, like the piece I wrote about Griffon Vultures, that wildlife is also at risk because of water scarcity. Dehydration is one of the risk factors for bird deaths. Wild fires don't bear thinking about with all the pine forests close by, but we'll be on alert again as ever shortly!
Thanks for this interesting piece, Claire. Your personal experience shows how vital it is for the people on Crete who can make a difference, do so, and very soon.
Thanks, Rosemary. I've heard some heartbreaking stories since I published this, of villages on the West of the island already having problems with water being switched off to save it for the tourist season! Huge storage tanks are being used in some places to conserve extra water from any rain. Sounds like a problem that may only accelerate, so we all need to learn from it quickly!
Nooo!! No water! Thank goodness you have the water fountains. Shall we bring a load of bottled water over for you? Seriously though, it is a real worry what is happening with environmental changes and the slow speed at which countries are reacting to mitigate them. I remember visiting Llyn Celen during the drought of 1984 when the water level went so low it exposed the houses that had been flooded to build the reservoir. We have a family photo of us sitting on one of the bridges in the middle of what was the village. That was such an unusual event but we see these events happening more and more lately. Just like Sfendyli. Great article, as ever, and very thought provoking x
Thanks, Annette! Yes - I also walked on the bottom of Ladybower reservoir a few years ago, when the flooded village there was exposed. Unfortunately in Crete, it's every year for the last few years, and no year has yet been as low as this one!!
Oh - and of course, for there to be water in the ancient fountain network, there needs to be water coming down from the mountains, which is less common in summer!!!!!
Two years ago we had a three year drought in South Africa's Eastern Cape region. We have learned to save as much water as we can.
We shower standing in a large flat plastic basin & save the water in buckets for flushing.
I have a pipe that carries the grey water from our washing machine into the garden to water the our lemon and avocado trees.
More importantly we have 4 x 5000 litre tanks to collect our rain water from the roof and a pump to send it into the house when our Municipal water runs out. It is reassuring to know we won't run out.
With climate change promising hotter, drier weather it might be worth considering.
All good ideas - love using the grey water from the washing machine. Going to look into that!
Thanks for a great article, Claire!
Thanks, Gudrun. Glad you enjoyed it! Been getting lots of comments on different social media pages, and on Substack about the situation on other Greek islands, and in places like South Africa too. Makes me even more sure that we all need to work together as much as we can on Crete to conserve water!
Yet again a fantastic story Claire, I love reading about Kritsá x
So pleased you're enjoying the blog, Sue
We use a biodegradable soap in the washing machine so the grey water doesn't cause problems for the plants and trees.
I know there were areas last summer on the north coast with no water for weeks. It’s quite scary to hear about it so early in the year. I live near Kedros mountain which, as one of the villagers told me, always has a cloud on top. But water scarcity and wildfires are my biggest concern here. So, as you do, we conserve water, try not to waste it, and swim in the sea 😋
Yes, not a great fan of pools - and I know from researching articles, like the piece I wrote about Griffon Vultures, that wildlife is also at risk because of water scarcity. Dehydration is one of the risk factors for bird deaths. Wild fires don't bear thinking about with all the pine forests close by, but we'll be on alert again as ever shortly!
Thanks for this interesting piece, Claire. Your personal experience shows how vital it is for the people on Crete who can make a difference, do so, and very soon.
Thanks, Rosemary. I've heard some heartbreaking stories since I published this, of villages on the West of the island already having problems with water being switched off to save it for the tourist season! Huge storage tanks are being used in some places to conserve extra water from any rain. Sounds like a problem that may only accelerate, so we all need to learn from it quickly!
Nooo!! No water! Thank goodness you have the water fountains. Shall we bring a load of bottled water over for you? Seriously though, it is a real worry what is happening with environmental changes and the slow speed at which countries are reacting to mitigate them. I remember visiting Llyn Celen during the drought of 1984 when the water level went so low it exposed the houses that had been flooded to build the reservoir. We have a family photo of us sitting on one of the bridges in the middle of what was the village. That was such an unusual event but we see these events happening more and more lately. Just like Sfendyli. Great article, as ever, and very thought provoking x
Thanks, Annette! Yes - I also walked on the bottom of Ladybower reservoir a few years ago, when the flooded village there was exposed. Unfortunately in Crete, it's every year for the last few years, and no year has yet been as low as this one!!
Oh - and of course, for there to be water in the ancient fountain network, there needs to be water coming down from the mountains, which is less common in summer!!!!!
Of course! It’s mountain water not underground spring water like in many places. So you need to go easy on that too x