No, it is not a joke, but Mykonos is running out of water! One of the most popular summer destinations worldwide, the cosmopolitan Greek island of Mykonos is facing serious water shortages. It is estimated that the water resourcesĀ of the island will last until the end of July. This sounds ironic as tourists paying up to 3,000 euros per night won’t even be able to take a shower in their room.
Local authorities were aware of the problem since February. The water in the two reservoirs of the island, in Marathi and Ano Mera, wasĀ reduced because of the drought. Meanwhile, a special budget was approved to deal with the problem. So far there are two possible solutions, desalination and the transfer of water from Attica, Greece to Mykonos with special vessels.
The island has three desalination plants, however only one is operating properly. The other two are facing serious problems and are under restoration. Thus the need for the construction of an additional desalination plant is urgent. Concerning the transfer of water from Attica, the municipal authorities have reported that the relevant tender hasn’t been held yet.
The island’s permanent residents amount to 7,000. However, during the summer the population is rising to 80,000 due to the mass arrival of tourists.
With the water consumption being huge, businessmen and local residents are afraid that the water will run out in August, something that would seriously damage the island’s tourism.
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