Water Shortage – Water Scarcity Athens 2025: ecoturbino as a Simple Key to Immediate Water Savings of Roughly Estimated 80 Million m³ of Water per Year for an Entire City
…. but also for islands like Crete, Rhodes, Lesbos, Euboea, Corfu, etc. an interesting possibility
In a time when climate change is hitting Greece hard, Athens is facing an acute water crisis. With falling reservoir levels and rising temperatures, water conservation is becoming a national priority. According to current reports, a severe shortage threatens in the coming years, affecting millions.
This report highlights the situation, focusing on household consumption incl. hotels – especially showers – and shows how the ecoturbino shower adapter could enable massive savings by reducing shower duration to 5 minutes.
Based on the latest data, including studies on consumption habits, this text aims to raise awareness among the Ministry of Environment and the Greek public.
Greenpeace and similar organizations have long emphasized the need for radical measures against water scarcity, which is exacerbated by agriculture and households.
Google Trends shows rising interest in search terms like “Water Shortage Athens” and “Save Water” in Greece, with peaks in recent months due to ongoing drought – a clear signal for urgent action.
The Current Water Shortage in Athens
Athens, home to over 4.4 million people in the Attica region, is struggling with one of the worst droughts in recent decades – www.bloomberg.com
Water reserves have been steadily declining for three years, despite slight improvements in precipitation in 2025 compared to 2024. www.aa.com.tr
Experts warn of a crisis within the next four years if no comprehensive measures are taken. www.euroweeklynews.com
Reservoir Levels at Historic Lows
The main reservoirs like Mornos and Evinos are alarmingly low. In May 2025, the surface of the Mornos Reservoir was only 2.3 square kilometers – far below the overflow capacity of 3.6 square kilometers – and both reservoirs are currently only 60% full. www.ekathimerini.com
The Evinos Reservoir value is about 11.64 square kilometers, one of the lowest since 2002. www.ca.news.yahoo.com
These levels almost exceed the record lows of 2008 and put enormous pressure on the water supply.https://www.circleofblue.org
The government is now planning to merge hundreds of small water companies and revive ancient structures like Hadrian’s Aqueduct to conserve drinking water. https://www.smithsonianmag.com
Causes and Societal Impacts
The crisis is exacerbated by persistent heat, low precipitation, and systemic losses: Greece loses around 50% of its drinking water through leaky pipes and theft – almost double the EU average of 23%. https://www.reuters.com
Tourism and agriculture further strain resources, as Greenpeace highlights in reports on global water scarcity. https://www.greenpeace.org
For the population, this means higher costs, restrictions, and health risks. Google Trends data underscores the urgency: Searches for “Water Shortage Athens” have increased by up to 50% in recent weeks, indicating growing public awareness.
Water Consumption in Everyday Life: Focus on Showers
The average water consumption per person in Greece is about 294 liters per day, in Athens even up to 378 liters. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Households account for a large part, with showers and baths making up around 34% of consumption.
Shower Habits in Greece
Europeans typically shower daily, with a duration of 5 to 8 minutes. https://spongelle.com
In Greece, habits are similar to those in Southern Europe: Many shower once a day, with an average of about 8 minutes and a consumption of 80 liters per shower at standard flow rates of 10 liters per minute. https://tappwater.co
Reducing to 5 minutes – a recommended saving duration – could save 37.5% alone, without compromising comfort.
ecoturbino as an Innovative Solution
ecoturbino, a simple adapter for showers, reduces water flow by up to 40 to 50%, without diminishing shower comfort, by mixing in air and optimizing the jet. Ideal for households, hotels, and public facilities, it fits perfectly with Greece’s needs.
Functionality and Benefits
The adapter lowers the flow from about 12 to 6 liters per minute. Combined with a 5-minute duration, that results in only 30 liters per shower – compared to 80 liters standardly.
This not only saves water but also energy for hot water and reduces CO2 emissions, which environmental organizations like Greenpeace would support. https://www.greenpeace.org
Approximate ecoturbino Calculations: Scenario for All of Athens if Everyone Showered for Only 5 Minutes, for Example
Assuming all 4.4 million residents (estimate incl. tourists) in Athens shower daily instead of 8 minutes for 5 minutes with ecoturbino:
- Standard consumption with economical showerhead (8 min, 10 L/min): 80 L/person/day.
Attention Important: A normal showerhead consumes 12 – 14 liters per minute - New consumption with ecoturbino (5 min, 6 L/min): 30 L/person/day.
- Savings per person: 50 L/day.
- Daily total savings: 4,400,000 × 50 L = 220 million liters.
- Annually: 220 million L × 365 ≈ 80.3 billion liters (80.3 million cubic meters).
This corresponds to the volume of a medium-sized reservoir and could reduce current consumption by up to 20%, based on the share of showers in total consumption.
Potential Impacts on Water Consumption and Drinking Water Supply
Through widespread use, household consumption would significantly decrease, reducing the burden on infrastructure and compensating for leaks.
Change in Water Consumption
Total consumption per person could drop from 294 liters to under 240 liters (even lower combined with other changes), if showers are optimized. In Athens, where consumption is growing, this would enable stabilization and free up resources for tourism. https://www.nationalgeographic.com
Significance for the Drinking Water Supply
At current levels, the savings could extend the reservoirs by months. Instead of a crisis in four years, Athens could gain time to modernize infrastructure. https://podcasts.apple.com
The 80 billion liters annually correspond to about 10-15% of annual demand and could stabilize levels in Mornos and Evinos, especially combined with projects like Hadrian’s Aqueduct. https://www.nationalgeographic.com
Call to Action: For Greece and the Ministry of Environment
The Ministry of Environment could perhaps integrate ecoturbino into campaigns, offer subsidies, and start pilot projects. Citizens could easily be supplied, install the system in showers themselves, and thus contribute to the solution. Greenpeace calls for radical changes – ecoturbino would be a simple and straightforward step.