The South Aegean Region has imposed an administrative fine of €17,820 on the Municipality of Patmos, for serious breaches of environmental legislation related to the operation of the island’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

The decision, signed by the Deputy Regional Governor of the Dodecanese, Christos Efstratiou, was issued after a months-long process of inspections, on-site checks and cross-referenced reports from various authorities — including the Patmos Port Authority, the Patmos Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office of Kos, which had ordered a preliminary investigation.

According to the official documents obtained by protothema.gr, on 18 August 2025 an on-site inspection was carried out by the Environmental Sustainability Department of the Dodecanese Region during which it was confirmed that the municipality’s treatment plant was out of operation, without prior notification to the competent service and without corrective or remedial measures being taken.

As a result, as noted in the decision, untreated sewage was being discharged directly into the submarine outfall, which was found blocked, causing extensive pollution and degradation of the marine environment in Chochlakas Bay, at a very short distance from the treatment facility. The sewage leak into the sea had actually been noticed already since mid-July, when local residents and tourism professionals reported strong odour and murky waters near the shore. This was followed by a report from the Patmos Port Authority (Ref. No. 2601/23-07-2025) informing services of sewage present in the sea and on the shoreline, as well as a report dated July 29 regarding odour problems coming from the pumping station of the same network.

The Patmos Police Department, after becoming aware of the complaints, sent a letter to the Prosecutor of Kos requesting judicial intervention. The Prosecutor, ordering a preliminary examination, instructed that the circumstances under which the pollution was caused be investigated, as well as whether criminal liabilities arise. Despite the notifications from competent services, the Municipality of Patmos did not proceed in time with repairs nor submitted timely explanations. Although on 2 September 2025 the Municipality requested an extension to submit its position, the deadline passed without response, resulting in the Region confirming the violation and recommending the imposition of the fine. The violation was assessed as “significant” according to the Ministry of Environment’s Compliance Action Model (ΜΕΣ), which provides for strict penalties for sewage recipient pollution.

The decision expressly states that the plant was found out of operation, without prior notification to the Region and without the submission of a restoration timetable. This constitutes a direct breach of the environmental operating terms approved in 2013 (ΑΔΑ: ΒΕΥΜΟΡ1Ι-73Η) and extended to 2028.

The €17,820 fine will be deposited to the Green Fund, as provided by Law 4014/2011, while the decision does not exempt the Municipality from implementing the already-set Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Non-compliance can lead to additional sanctions or new criminal procedures.

According to the Region, “environmental protection is an obligation for all public bodies and especially municipalities that manage wastewater installations.” Deputy Regional Governor Christos Efstratiou stressed that “such omissions are not tolerated, as they threaten the marine environment and public health, but also the tourism image of the islands.” The Municipality of Patmos retains the right to appeal the decision before the Administrative Court within 60 days from notification, according to the Administrative Procedure Code.