Editing Santorini (section)

=== Water and sewerage ===
As the island lies in a rain shadow between the mountains of Crete and the Peloponnese water seems to have been scarce at least from post-eruption times.<ref>{{cite web |title=Santorini Water Museum, Greece |publisher=Water Museums |date=25 July 1995 |url=https://www.watermuseums.net/museum/church-of-panaghia-episkopi-cistern-and-water-walks/ |access-date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120172913/https://www.watermuseums.net/museum/church-of-panaghia-episkopi-cistern-and-water-walks/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> This, combined with the small size of the island, the lack of rivers, and the nature of the soil, which is largely composed of volcanic ash, as well as the high summer temperatures meant that there was very little surface water.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bitis |first=Ioannis |title=Water supply methods in Ancient Thera: the case of the sanctuary of Apollo Karneios |journal=Water Supply |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=638–645 |year=2013 |doi=10.2166/ws.2013.017 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269599347}}</ref> With only one spring (Zoodochos Pigi – the Life-giving Spring) this encouraged the practice of diverting any rain that fell on roofs and courtyards to elaborate underground cisterns, supplemented in the 20th century with water imported from other areas of Greece. Owing to the lack of water islanders developed non-irrigated crops such as vines and olives that could survive on only the scant moisture provided by the common early-morning fog condensing on the ground as [[dew]].

Many cisterns ceased to be used following the 1956 earthquake. As tourism increased, the existing [[rainwater harvesting]] methods proved incapable of supplying the increased demand. As a result, it has become necessary to construct [[desalination]] plants which now provide running but non-potable water to most residents. This has led to many of the historic cisterns falling into disrepair.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Enriquez |first1=Jared |last2=Tipping |first2=David C. |last3=Lee |first3=Jung-Ju |last4=Vijay |first4=Abhinav |last5=Kenny |first5=Laura |last6=Chen |first6=Susan |last7=Mainas |first7=Nikolaos |last8=Holst-Warhaft |first8=Gail |last9=Steenhuis |first9=Tammo |title=Water Management in the Tourism Economy: Linking the Mediterranean's Traditional Rainwater Cisterns to Modern Needs |journal=Water |volume=9 |issue=11 |year=2017 |doi=10.3390/w9110868 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320939498 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The first desalination plant was built at Oia following a donation in 1992 by the Oia-born businessman [[Aristeidis Alafouzos]]. By 2003 the plant had expanded to house three desalination units (of which two had been donated by Alafouzos).<ref>{{cite web |title=Santorini: Bottled drinking water |publisher=[[Kathimerini]] |date=30 July 2003 |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/16112/article/ekathimerini/news/santorini-bottled-drinking-water |access-date=20 January 2021 |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424165325/https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/16112/santorini-bottled-drinking-water/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2020 the plant has six desalination units with a total capacity of {{cvt|2800|m3}} per day.<ref name= DEYATH>{{cite web |title=Desalination Deva Thira |publisher=DEYA Thira |date=2020 |url=https://deyathira.gr/afalatoseis-deya-thiras/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125185856/https://deyathira.gr/afalatoseis-deya-thiras/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition to Oia there are currently desalination plants at Aghia Paraskevi, located on the southwest side of the airport with a capacity of {{cvt|5000|m3}} per day which supplies Kamari, Vothonas, Messaria, Exo Gonia, Mesa Gonia, Agia Paraskevi, and Monolithos;<ref>{{cite web |last=Solaris |first=Giorgos |title=Tender for the supply and installation of new desalination plants in Exo Gialos Fira, Santorini |language=el|date=27 May 2020 |url=https://cyclades24.gr/2020/05/prokiryssete-i-promithia-ke-egkatastasi-neon-monadon-afalatosis-exo-gialou-firon-santorinis/ |access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref> Fira with a capacity of {{cvt|1200|m3}} per day;<ref name= DEYATH /> Akrotiri (also known as the Cape) which has two units with a total capacity of {{cvt|650|m3}} per day;<ref name= DEYATH /> Exo Gialos which has two units with a total capacity of {{cvt|2000|m3}} per day which supplies Fira, Imerovigli, Karteradou, Pyrgos, Megalochori and Vourvoulou; and Therasia which has two TEMAK units with a total capacity of {{cvt|350|m3}} per day.<ref name=DEYATH />

There are also a number of small autonomous drinking water production units with a capacity of {{cvt|6|m3}} per day located at Kamari, Emporio, Messaria and Thirasia Island.<ref name= DEYATH />

The provision of water supply and sewage treatment and disposal on both Santorini and Therasia Islands is undertaken by the municipally owned DEYA Thiras. It was founded in May 2011, after the merging of the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Thera (DEYA Thera) and the Community Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Oia ({{lang|el|K .Ε.Υ.Α. Οίας}}). Known as DEYATH it is responsible for the planning, construction, management, operation and maintenance of the water supply system (desalination plants and pumping wells), irrigation, drainage, and the wastewater collection networks and treatment plants for the islands of Thira (Santorini) and Therasia. The Loulas and Evangelos Nomikos Foundation has funded a number of projects aimed at improving the water supply and sewage systems on the islands.