The population of Muğla Bodrum, which is listed as 200,000 on the sign, reaches 1.5 million, especially during the summer months. As the population in Bodrum continues to grow, the water problem has become increasingly unmanageable. Both the locals and visitors coming to the district for vacation are urgently seeking a solution to the water issue.
The water shortage in Muğla Bodrum, a premier vacation spot in Turkey and the world, has become a chronic problem over the past year. With the depletion of water in the Geyik and Mumcular dams, which supply the district's water needs, the residents of Bodrum, the jewel of tourism, are facing water shortages for days on end during the summer heat, trying to come up with their own solutions.
Residents of neighborhoods and sites in Bodrum have large water tanks on their rooftops and in their gardens. Locals and vacationers in Bodrum try to solve the problem of water cuts, which sometimes last up to 9 days, by filling their tanks on days when water is available.
HOMES FILLED WITH WATER CONTAINERS
The bathrooms and corridors of the homes are filled with water jugs and containers. Homes, in this state, resemble water dealerships.
The people of Bodrum are also suspicious of the healthiness of the water sent by municipal teams via tractor. According to claims by residents in Turgutreis, infectious diseases have increased.
'THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WATER, WE ARE WORRIED'
Resident Şeyda Ertem said, 'We are now forced to get water from wells with tractors. There is no analysis report on which well the water brought by tractors comes from. Last night we went to the hospital, my son has been unwell for two nights and can barely stand. It's an infection. Obviously, there is a problem with the water. We are worried.'
Kaan Ertem expressed their desperation, saying, 'There have been times when we didn't have water for 8-9 days. Sometimes we get a message saying water will come at a certain time, but three days pass and it still doesn't come.'
Hotel operators, trying not to disappoint their guests with the water they store in tanks, are deeply concerned about how they will manage the summer due to both the costs and the water cuts.