Psyttaleia () is an uninhabited island in the

Saronic Gulf The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of C ...

between the harbor of

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...

and the Kynosoura peninsula on

Salamis Island Salamis ( ; ) or Salamina () is the largest Greece, Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about from the coast of Athens' port of Piraeus and about west of Athens center. The chief city, Salamina (city), Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. It covers an area of 0.375 square kilometers. The island houses Athens' largest

sewage treatment Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water p ...

plant,ΕΥΔΑΠ Α.Ε.
eydap.gr which is also the largest in Europe,Athens Stock Exchange
, ''Elliniki Technodomiki TEB AE'', Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
, ''Environmental protection works'', Retrieved on 2007-06-08. with a projected daily maximum drying capacity of 750 tons of sewage.
, ''Karamanlis in Psyttaleia'', Retrieved 8 June 2007 Administratively it is part of the

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

History

In 480 BC, before the naval

battle of Salamis The Battle of Salamis ( ) was a naval battle fought in 480 BC, between an alliance of Greek city-states under Themistocles, and the Achaemenid Empire under King Xerxes. It resulted in a victory for the outnumbered Greeks. The battle was fou ...

, the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ns installed in the island a garrison of soldiers and noblemen. After the Greek victory, the Persian fleet retreated towards Phaleron and the guard was abandoned.

Aristides Aristides ( ; , ; 530–468 BC) was an ancient Athenian statesman. Nicknamed "the Just" (δίκαιος, ''díkaios''), he flourished at the beginning of Athens' Classical period and is remembered for his generalship in the Persian War. ...

, the Athenian

strategos ''Strategos'' (), also known by its Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized form ''strategus'', is a Greek language, Greek term to mean 'military General officer, general'. In the Hellenistic world and in the Byzantine Empire, the term was also use ...

(general), landed on the island and executed all the Persians. From the Middle Ages until recently the island was called ''Lipsokoutali'' (Λειψοκουτάλι - lit. ''half-spoon''), because it resembled a half-spoon when seen from the Mount Aigaleo. Ancient Psyttaleia has long been identified with modern Lipsokoutali, though some scholars proposed Mount Aigaleo instead; the consensus remains with Lipsokoutali. In modern history, the island was briefly transformed into a naval prison, in accordance with the French model of the time, as well as place of exile for political dissidents.

Sewage treatment plant

Since the 1990s, the

was starting to become polluted by industrial and residential sewage from

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. In order to protect the ecosystem and due to considerations for negative implications on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, a

plant was installed on the island which started operation in November 1994.EYDAP AE
, ''Psyttaleia Sewage Plant'', Retrieved on 2007-06-08 This included the primary treatment, which prevents the waste from entering the sea, but did not provide a permanent solution for the resulting sludge. Temporary solutions of exporting the sludge and of neutralizing it through oxidization proved insufficient over the years. On June 1, 2007, the sludge treatment plant was put into operation, with two production lines of a total waste drying capacity of 500 tons per day. Another two production lines started operation a month later, raising the total capacity to more than 750 tons per day. It is estimated that the remaining sludge of 150,000 to 160,000 tons that was accumulated on the island over the years when only the primary treatment was active, would be converted to

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from Biomass (energy), biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricu ...

in the first six months of operation, and used in industry, especially in cement kilns and electricity power plants.Ethnos
''Psyttaleia "breathes"'', Retrieved on 2007-06-08 On October 5, 2007, environment vice-minister Themistoklis Xanthopoulos announced that there would be no sludge left in the following five months, and that auditors such as the

European Court of Auditors The European Court of Auditors (ECA; French: ''Cour des comptes européenne'') is the supreme audit institution of the European Union (EU). It was established in 1975 in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and is one of the Institutions of the European ...

had approved the quality of the plant.Skai News
, "Ούτε 1 κιλό λυματολάσπης στην Ψυττάλεια" (''"Not a kilo of sludge in Psyttaleia"''), Retrieved on 2007-10-05.

Other structures and services

In the northeastern part of the island, which is not occupied by the sewage treatment plant, there is a lighthouse and a station of the

Hellenic Coast Guard The Hellenic Coast Guard () is the national coast guard of Greece. Like many other coast guards, it is a paramilitary organization that can support the Hellenic Navy in wartime, but resides under separate civilian control in times of peace. The ...

Vessel Traffic Service A vessel traffic service is a marine traffic monitoring system established by harbour or port authorities, similar to air traffic control for aircraft. The International Maritime Organization defines vessel traffic service as "a service implemente ...

system.

References

External links

Official website of Municipality of Piraeus
{{The Saronic Landforms of Piraeus (regional unit) Islands of Attica Islands of Greece Saronic Islands Ports and harbours of Greece Economy of Athens Sewage treatment plants Water supply and sanitation in Greece Battle of Salamis Uninhabited islands of Greece