Swimmers in Austria told to stop swallowing water

A budget-conscious council in Austria has requested that swimmers stop swallowing water in a bid to save money. According to a survey carried out by managers at Vienna's 18 public swimming pools bathers are drinking 5,000 litres of chlorinated pool water a day.

Official Martin Kotinsky said: "A lot of water gets taken out in the material every time a swimmer uses the pool and it has to be replaced." He pointed out that, as well as replacing water, authorities had to spend £20 on chlorine - £1.11 per pool.



The council is also targeting people who wear Bermuda shorts to go bathing. Tests revealed that the average wearer takes 2.5 litres of water with them trapped in their swimwear every time they get out of the pool.

Mr Kotinsky said: "A lot of water gets taken out in the material every time a swimmer climbs in and out. That means that for every 1,000 visits to the pool we lose 2,500 litres of water." Complaints about shrinking pools come amid heatwave in Austria that has boosted the number of swimmers.