The hospitality of Russian residents in this World Cup season is now expected to extend to public utilities, as residents in host city Samara were asked to shower in pairs to save water for use by visiting fans.
Water system authorities in Samara said they ramped up supplies in the last few days to accommodate increased water use during the football tournament and a recent heat wave.
“Thousands of the city’s visitors, who also consume water, are contributing to the increase,” the utility company, Samarskiye Kommunalniye Systemy, wrote in a press release on Wednesday.
In some of the city’s neighborhoods with the most demand for water, there was a decrease in water pressure, the company said.
To solve the problem it suggested an unusual solution. “Save water, take showers in pairs,” the utility company recommended, ending its message with a smiley face.
The release did not mention whether a water shortage is expected to hit Samara on Saturday, when the city will host England's match against Sweden as part of the quarterfinals.
