Analysis and evaluation of the operational status of municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Dodecanese prefecture in Greece

Abstract

Data from municipal and private wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Dodecanese prefecture in Greece was collected via a questionnaire and personal interviews, and was analyzed with respect to the operational status of the plants. The data was compared with the latest reports by the Greek Ministry of the Environment, which is what is officially reported at a national level and to the European Union (EU), and what judges Greece's compliance with EU Directives. Our assessment is that the picture presented by the Ministry is limited and optimistic when compared to reality, with many plants going unreported. This confirms what other researchers have reported previously, and presents an update on operational status, specifically for the highly touristic and ecologically sensitive island area of the Dodecanese. A short survey of the private WWTPs belonging to hotel establishments reveals that, although they are expected to treat a large percentage of the wastewaters produced in the islands during summer months, most of them operate poorly, while no regular checks are performed by public health officials.