Bottled water shortage in Tunisia extends into third week

TUNIS, Tunisia — A shortage of bottled water has entered its third week in Tunisia, with long lines forming outside shops in several cities. Officials say production has failed to keep pace with rising demand, and in some areas consumers have intercepted trucks carrying water. Security forces have deployed patrols to protect delivery routes and manage the queues. Temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius have pushed consumption higher, widening the supply gap. The country has 31 bottling plants with a combined capacity of about 520,000 bottles per hour. Official data show annual production rose from 2.6 billion liters in 2024 to 2.7 billion liters in 2025, while consumption is estimated at close to 3 billion liters. President Kais Saied has described the crisis as a deliberate situation beyond the power outages and said those responsible would be identified. The bottled water producers' union has rejected allegations of hoarding or intentional restriction, stating that plants are operating at full capacity. Warehouse management expert Azzam Soualmi said a recent change to the check law has made it harder for distributors to build off-season safety stocks, deepening the summer supply crunch.