Mykonos Faces Water Shortage

The water in the two reservoirs of the island, in Marathi and Ano Mera, was 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 repair. 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 water consumption rising because of huge tourist influx, businessmen and local residents are afraid that the water will run out in August, something that would seriously damage the island’s tourism.