Hotels on Greece’s islands may start filling their pools with seawater due to worsening drought conditions, as outlined in new legislation currently under parliamentary discussion.
According to the proposed bill, the objective of the regulation is “to provide the possibility of saving water that could be used for other urban uses.” It explicitly provides for the possibility of carrying out pipeline installation projects for the pumping in and out of seawater for use in swimming pools of legally operating hotel accommodations.
Elena Rapti, a deputy minister of tourism, announced government plans to clear existing legal hurdles to pumping seawater into private pools that would allow for the switch in response to shrinking water reserves on many islands.
“This (draft legislation) regulates the framework for carrying out seawater extraction and pumping it for swimming pools. The focus, of course, is to conserve water resources,” Rapti told a parliamentary committee.
Critics of seawater pools in Greece
Critics point out that the bill does not set quality standards for the discharge of water back into the sea, although it is known that even salted water in swimming pools is treated with chemicals for disinfection. They also stress that the legislation does not ensure that only the pool water ends up in the sea and not, for example, sewage, as has often happened in the past.
“I believe that the regulation should stipulate the mandatory dichlorination of water before its discharge into the sea,” said Elias Nokas, director of Water Resources in the South Aegean Region. “Also, from an aesthetic point of view, it is not nice to create water pipes on the beach,” he told Kathimerini.
He also pointed out that the effect of the swimming pools on water scarcity is not as big an issue as it is made out to be. “Even on islands with a lot of swimming pools, such as Paros and Mykonos, pools consume not more than 6 percent of water resources.”
Critics also point out that when pool water is drained or leaks into the ground, the high salt content can harm local ecosystems, including plants and soil quality. In addition, chlorinated saltwater discharged into the sea could harm marine ecosystems due to residual chlorine and altered salinity.
Greece faces acute drought
Greece has faced acute drought conditions over the past two years, with the tourist season adding further strain on water resources, especially on islands with popular vacation destinations.
A recent study conducted by the National Observatory of Athens and published in the scientific journal “Atmospheric Research” revealed shocking details about the problem.
The average annual rainfall in Greece has decreased by approximately 12 percent in the period between 1971-2020 compared to the years from 1901 to 1970.
The situation is even worse in southern regions like the Aegean islands and Crete, where one fifth of the average rainfall has disappeared.
Related: Water Shortage in Greece a ‘Wake-up Call to Change Culture’
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