DEPARTMENT OF HYDROGEOLOGY & HYDROLOGY.
The Department of Hydrogeology and Hydrology (YDROGE) operates under the Directorate of Water Resources and Geothermal Energy.
Hydrogeology is the science that studies the movement and storage of groundwater. To achieve this, it applies specialized tools and methods and works in close collaboration with many other scientific fields. Since the establishment of the first Geological Service in Greece in 1925, hydrogeology has played a key role in the country’s development, focusing on the assessment and use of groundwater resources, especially in the major agricultural plains. Today, under the legal framework of the H.S.G.M.E., hydrogeology continues to serve as an advisor to the State, contributing to:
Committees and working groups of the Ministry of Environment on water management and policy issues.
- Advisory roles on transboundary water issues (e.g., Lake Doirani, Prespa Lakes, Axios River) on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Participation in committees of the Ministry of Health regarding the recognition of natural mineral waters.
Main research activities of the Department include:
- Investigation, delineation, and evaluation of hydrogeological systems; operation and maintenance of the National Groundwater Monitoring Network.
- Preparation of hydrological balances.
- Support for River Basin Management Plans.
- Assessment of groundwater quality and pollution, along with protection measures.
- Solutions for water supply challenges.
- Execution of exploratory boreholes.
- Studies on protection zones for water abstraction points (springs, wells) in karst systems.
- Design and application of artificial recharge projects for aquifers.
- Management of hydrogeological databases in GIS.
Hydrogeology has made an invaluable contribution to water supply projects. Practically every municipality in Greece has benefited from studies or drilling programs conducted by the department. A landmark example is the “Athens Water Supply Project” in 1990, when a severe drought caused major water shortages. Between 1990 and 1994, 170 productive boreholes were drilled by H.S.G.M.E. (then IGME), funded by the Ministry of Public Works and EYDAP, securing 450,000 m³ of water per day for Athens and safeguarding the city’s water supply during the crisis.
Today, the Department and its regional hydrogeologists, in collaboration with other units, contribute to projects addressing floods, waste management, pollution, drainage of mining areas, and landslide investigations.
Major projects carried out by the Department are often part of EU funding programs or service contracts with municipalities, regional authorities, and local water utilities, delivering applied solutions for water sufficiency, groundwater protection, and waste management.
Examples include the “National Groundwater Monitoring Network”, a €6.5 million project covering 1,894 monitoring stations across Greece (including remote islands), and the “National Register of Boreholes”, which catalogs every borehole in the country, providing critical data for sustainable water management and compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive.
Through countless studies and technical reports, the Department of Hydrogeology has consistently supported Greek society and development by addressing groundwater-related challenges.
Read more about the other departments of the Directorate of Water Resources and Geothermal Energy (DYPOGE):
Department of Geothermal Energy and Thermal Mineral Resources (GEOTHE)