Malevizi: water pipe burst in Rodia

A serious water supply pipe failure occurred around 07:30 on the morning of Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Rodia, Malevizi, resulting in a large amount of water leaking with intensity and pressure. According to local reports, the water was ejected high like a jet, an image captured by residents of the area. The flow ended up on the road to Savvathianos, flooding a section of the pavement in the direction to the Savvathianos Monastery. Traffic problems were created, while drivers were urged to proceed with particular caution in the specific section. Residents uploaded videos to social media from the scene, which were reproduced by local media and showed water running impetuously along the slope.

A crew from the competent Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company went to the scene; Patris specifies the Malevizi Water Company. Restoration work was underway at the time of publication of the first reports, at 08:58 and 11:07 respectively. The process in such cases requires first isolating the section of the network to stop the flow, then excavation, replacement or soldering of the pipe and finally gradual resupply, which is often accompanied by water turbidity for a few hours. The speed of intervention is critical, as every hour of delay in a large-diameter pipe translates to hundreds of cubic meters of lost drinking water.

The most serious aspect of the incident is not the flooded pavement but the water loss. In Crete, August is the month with the highest consumption of the year, as tourist accommodation demand is added to that of permanent residents. Network losses are a chronic issue for municipalities on the island, with percentages in old sections remaining high, while every major break additionally burdens a system already operating under pressure. Cretan municipalities have in recent years included in financed programs the replacement of old networks and installation of telemetry systems for early detection of leaks.

Rodia is located in the north of the Municipality of Malevizi, in an area with pronounced terrain, where pipes operate under high pressures due to elevation differences — a factor that increases network stress. No damage to homes or crops was reported, nor were there injuries. The municipality had not issued an announcement regarding the duration of water supply interruption to the settlements fed by the specific pipe. More about the area in the Heraklion section. The section of the road to the monastery remains prone to slipperiness until the pavement dries completely and debris carried by water is removed.