Greece to Merge Hundreds of Water Firms as Drought Worsens

Greece plans to merge hundreds of small water companies, as the government tackles a worsening drought that’s left reservoirs supplying Athens at the lowest level in three decades.

More than 700 water firms, mainly controlled by municipalities, will be combined into three to improve management of the scarce resource, a person familiar with the plan said. The existing companies for Athens and Thessaloniki — EYDAP and EYATH — will expand their coverage, while a third entity will take responsibility for the rest of the country, the person said, asking not to be identified as the plan isn’t yet public.