Does Greece have a water problem?

Greece's population has declined in recent years, and is forecast to continue to decline by 2050 (European Commission, 2016a). The Greek islands have insufficient water supplies to meet demand, relying on the use of water tankers for maintaining water supply – at considerable cost.



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Unfortunately, in the vast majority of accommodations, cafes, bars, shops and restaurants, the answer is “yes, it is true!” Much of Greece's sewage systems was installed during the 1930's and 1940's (by the British) using small bore pipe-work that simply cannot cope with paper waste.

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Do You Pay for Public Bathrooms in Greece? Public restrooms in Greece cost money (around 50 cents). Most restrooms are fairly clean, but many of the toilets don't have seats so you'll need to squat over them. To be safe, I recommend carrying around some hand sanitizer in case the bathroom you visit doesn't have soap!

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Is it safe to drink the tap water in Greece? In Athens and most places across mainland Greece, the tap water is perfectly safe to drink. In harbor towns and the Greek Islands, however, it is generally better to drink bottled water, which is readily available and very cheap.

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This glorious blue colour is due partly to the reflection of the blue skies and partly to the fact that the sea does not contain large quantities of solid matter such as plankton, mud and dust floating in the water. The way in which the Greek Sea sparkles is like no other the world over.

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Santorini really has no sources of natural drinking water. While a couple of new sea water desalination plants have been able to supply the main cities with clean water, many households still rely on collecting the winter rain fall in large tanks that sit on top of many houses.

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Currently, Mykonos quenches its thirst only from desalination units that collectively have a nominal capacity of 10,000 cubic meters per day. This includes 4,000 cubic meters from units located at the old Slaughterhouses and 6,000 cubic meters from the units installed in the Korfos area.

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What's different about Greek toilets? Greek sewage pipes are much narrower than US or British pipes, and therefore can't handle paper or any other items as it will easily clog them. This is because the infrastructure and sewerage system are much older.

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Restaurant workers in Greece don't expect you to tip, though the restaurant may sometimes charge a service fee. That fee can function as a tip instead, though it may go to the restaurant instead of the server. If you want to see your waiter receive the tip, you're better off leaving coins with the bill.

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The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as “the most wretched and dismal region on earth”, due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.

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Yes you can. For the most part the waters at Greek beaches begin to get cold after January. That doesn't mean you'll be hitting the beach and doing what you would do in the summer. Each season has its offerings, beauty and secrets so keep note.

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