The Greek infrastructure cannot keep up with the increasing number of tourists. Seven Greek Aegean islands have declared a drinking water emergency this summer.
July 30, 2026, 01:30July 30, 2026, 01:30
Gerd Hohler, Athens / ch media
As the number of tourists increases, water consumption on the Greek island is also increasing.Image: George Vitsaras
The travel boom continues in Greece. In the first five months, the number of foreign visitors rose by 21 percent compared to the previous year.
But there is a dark side. In many places the infrastructure is not keeping pace with this growth. Water is becoming scarce, especially on the islands. Consumption increases with each holiday season, while at the same time rainfall has usually been significantly lower than the century average for around ten years. In order to secure supplies, ever deeper wells were drilled in many places. As a result, the groundwater level drops, seawater penetrates and makes numerous wells unusable.
The fact that seven island communities – Tinos, Alonissos, Astypalea, Karpathos, Leros, Patmos and Symi – have now declared a state of emergency sounds more dramatic than it is. Water is not rationed anywhere yet. The pools are filled, showers and toilets are working as usual. Declaring a state of emergency is an administrative measure. It simplifies tenders and accelerates approval processes for seawater desalination plants, new pipeline networks and other infrastructure projects. The aim is to act quickly to prevent an impending supply shortage.
Up to 50 percent of drinking water is lost
The example of Mykonos shows how much tourism drives up water consumption. The approximately 11,000 permanent residents need around 1,600 cubic meters of water per day in winter. In summer the requirement increases to up to 14,000 cubic meters. On Santorini, consumption increases by around 500 percent in the summer months.
On Santorini, consumption increases by around 500 percent in the summer months.Image: EPA
Not every tourist consumes the same amount. Scientists at the University of Thrace have calculated that guests of simple guesthouses need an average of around 450 liters of water per day. In luxury hotels with many pools and large gardens it can be up to 1000 liters per guest per day.
Not only hotel complexes, but also more and more holiday homes are making the situation worse. “The construction of many new holiday villas with their own pools puts a massive strain on the valuable groundwater,” says Panagiotis Krontiras, mayor of the Cyclades island of Tinos. “Water was very cheap for decades and was therefore often consumed carelessly,” said the mayor.
The poor condition of many pipeline networks makes matters worse. In many places they date back to the 1950s and 1960s, when there was no mass tourism. Experts estimate that on many islands 30 to 50 percent of drinking water is lost due to leaky pipes.
New desalination plants under construction
The government has therefore started an investment program. New pipeline networks and seawater desalination plants are being built on nine islands for more than 15 million euros. Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou says: “For Greece, water is not theoretical – it is about security, economic growth and the protection of local communities.”
The expansion is already underway. While there were only 80 desalination plants nationwide in 2009, today there are more than 150. A new plant was inaugurated on Amorgos last week, which supplies 1,050 cubic meters of drinking water every day. Astypalea is also investing. The island has around 1,400 residents and around 5,000 guest beds. An existing desalination plant is no longer sufficient. That’s why a mobile system with a daily output of 600 cubic meters was put into operation in July.
Vacationers can also help ensure that the declared emergency does not become a real one. Hotels and tourism associations recommend taking shorter showers, not changing towels every day and using water more sparingly overall. Even small behavioral changes can make a noticeable difference on islands with scarce water reserves. (schweiztoday.ch)