Summary

The Municipality of Apokoronas signed the construction contract for the Kokkinochori water supply project on July 29, 2026, committing just over €907,000 in EU funding to overhaul the village's water infrastructure. The works include more than 8.7 kilometres of new pipes, the linking of storage tanks, and expansion of the network into the village's most densely developed residential and tourist areas. Officials say the project will permanently resolve a long-standing water shortage that has affected both residents and visitors.

Kokkinochori water crisis set to end as major supply project gets green light

Residents of Kokkinochori have long struggled with an unreliable water supply. That is now set to change. On July 29, 2026, the Municipality of Apokoronas signed the construction contract for the "Kokkinochori Water Supply" project — a €907,000 investment that will deliver an entirely new water network to the village.

What the project involves

The scope of the works is substantial. The contract covers:

New pipework: over 8.7 kilometres of main and distribution water pipes

Tank interconnection: linking existing storage reservoirs to improve flow and reliability

Network expansion: extending supply to areas with the highest residential and tourist demand

Reinforcement of existing infrastructure: upgrading the current network for greater day-to-day security

Once complete, the project is designed to meet the water needs of both permanent residents and seasonal visitors — not just today, but for decades to come.

Funded by the EU

The project is financed through the Regional Operational Programme "Crete 2021–2027", drawing on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The municipality says securing this funding was the result of years of careful planning and the technical maturation of project studies.

Part of a twelve-year strategy

The Apokoronas municipal authority is keen to stress that this is not a standalone project. Since taking office in 2014, the administration says it has pursued a comprehensive, long-term plan to upgrade water supply and irrigation infrastructure across the entire municipality — building new pipes, storage tanks, pumping stations and modern facilities.

A key part of that strategy was the creation of DEYA Apokoronas, the municipality's dedicated water and sewage utility company. The utility is responsible for planning, applying for funding, preparing studies, and managing the municipality's most precious natural resource.

What this means for people in Kokkinochori

For those who live in or visit Kokkinochori, the contract signing marks a turning point. The new infrastructure will provide a permanent solution to a problem that has affected the village for many years — ending dependence on an overstretched, ageing network and laying the groundwork for the village's safe, sustainable development.

The municipality has not yet announced a construction start date or expected completion timeline.

PRESS RELEASE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS – The contract for the project "Water Supply of Kokkinochori" has been signed – One more decisive step towards the definitive resolution of the water supply problem.

July 29, 2026, 7:32 AM

With the signing of the contract for the project "Water Supply of Kokkinochori", with a total pre-discount budget of €907,420.64, the Municipal Authority of Apokoronas continues with consistency the implementation of its strategic plan for the strengthening of water supply infrastructure throughout the Municipality.

The project is financed by the Regional Operational Programme "Crete 2021–2027", through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), confirming once again that proper planning, the maturation of studies and the pursuit of funding yield substantive results for our area.

Since 2014, when we assumed the administration of the Municipality of Apokoronas, we knew very well that the greatest challenge for the future of our area was ensuring adequate and quality water. We never swept the problems under the carpet; on the contrary, we confronted them with seriousness, methodical approach and a comprehensive plan that continues to evolve to this day.

All these years we did not act in a piecemeal manner, we did not make hasty interventions to impress, we created a comprehensive network of water supply and irrigation projects throughout Apokoronas, utilising every available source of funding, strengthening water sources, constructing new pipes, tanks, pumping stations and modern infrastructures that daily increase the security of the network.

Today's contract constitutes one more important link in this great chain of projects. It is not an isolated project; it is the continuation of a plan that has been implemented with consistency for twelve years.

Its scope is substantial and entirely targeted: it provides for the construction of more than 8.7 kilometres of new water transmission and distribution pipes, the interconnection of tanks, the reinforcement of the existing network and its extension to the areas that exhibit the greatest residential and tourist development.

With the completion of this project, Kokkinochori now acquires all the necessary infrastructure to fully cover the water supply needs of its residents and visitors, both for today and for tomorrow. It is a project that provides a definitive solution to a long-standing problem and creates the conditions for the safe development of the area for the coming decades.

It is therefore no coincidence that we insisted with all our strength on the establishment of the Municipal Water and Sewerage Enterprise of Apokoronas (D.E.Y.A. Apokoronas). For us, D.E.Y.A. is a necessary choice of responsibility, a new, modern service in the service of our area, created to plan, pursue, mature studies, implement projects and manage with competence our most precious natural resource: water.

This was our goal since 2014, this is what we serve daily, and this is what we will continue to serve with the same seriousness, because we believe that great changes are not made with grand words — they are made with planning, persistence and projects that stand the test of time.