Pool Safety Regulations in Europe: Challenges Towards a Framework for Sustainable Seawater Utilization in Public Swimming Pools

The use of seawater in public swimming pools could offer a more sustainable solution given the challenges posed by climate change and the growing scarcity of potable water across Europe. However, the swimming pool sector currently lacks a unified European legislative framework and faces significant fragmentation, particularly regarding the use of seawater. This scoping review applies a methodology to collect and analyze the international and national regulations of 23 coastal European countries relevant to swimming pool water safety. It provides an overview of existing European legislation on the use of seawater in public swimming pools and outlines the permitted disinfection methods. The review also highlights the highly variable and fragmented regulatory frameworks for microbiological and chemical water quality parameters, as well as the limits imposed on disinfection by-products (DBPs). Furthermore, it addresses the potential risks associated with seawater use in pools, with particular attention to the toxicity of DBPs that may form under such conditions. The findings underscore the urgent need for legislative updates in the pool sector and highlight the potential for developing specific European regulations. These would help harmonize practices across the sector and improve the management of both sustainability and public health in recreational aquatic environments.