Greece hotel pools set to switch to seawater on drought-hit islands

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hotels on Greek islands may be filling their swimming pools with seawater this summer in response to worsening drought conditions, under new legislation being debated in parliament.

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.

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 parliament committee.

Rapti spoke Monday during a debate on a new hospitality industry reform bill and her remarks were published Tuesday on the Greek parliament website.