There will likely be more pools and spas installed in the coming years. These items are increasingly popular – particularly in warm climates. In water scarce regions regulations could be introduced to make swimming pool and spa covers mandatory to help reduce evaporation. Some of these covers are also designed to reduce heat losses and conserve energy.

From the water efficiency standpoint, there are no new technologies on the horizon to reduce water use in swimming pools and spas. However, recent research has shown that installing a swimming pool does not necessarily mean increasing water demand. In some regions, the same sized area taken up with automatically irrigated turf can use more water than a swimming pool (Maddaus and Mayer, 2001).

More advances related to energy efficiency are possible for swimming pools with the advent of more efficient motors and pumps and pool heating systems.