Water shortage

[1885wilson]

Does the water shortage affect use in hotels for showers, hair washing etc?

[Andy W]

Potentially yes, in practice the hoteliers are well aware of the situation and use storage tanks to minimise the effect on their guests.
Bear in mind that there's never not been a water shortage on Symi. For millenia the population used stored water from winter rains to see them through the summer. Post WW2 the island received a gift of a desalination plant from an American charity. It was set up in what is now the main square in Yialos, occupying what had been a boatyard. It never really worked properly, and fell into disuse, eventually being removed entirely. You can still see the remains of a similar plant on Kastellorizo.
Next as tourism increased, the water tanker ships came into use, shipping water across from Rhodes and pumping it into a network of pipes and reservoirs. When I first came to Symi the municipal water company supplied water to each district once a week and it was used to top up the levels in the existing underground tanks each house had. The area immediately round the harbour had mains water, frequently cut off, as underground tanks there could get contaminated by seawater.
A few years ago a new and much more high-tech desalination plant was opened on the Pedi Road, funded by government grants. Unfortunately the recession meant that there was no accompanying funding for maintenance and so it has never achieved the level of efficiency hoped for. It can provide enough water for local needs for some of the year, but water boats are still needed to cope with peak tourist demand.