Safety tips for Swimming pool

Public health officials say that try to inspect every pool once a year. Most pools are clean most of the time, but under the wrong circumstances, water can become cloudy within a couple of hours. You could come to a pool at 8 a.m. and it could be cloudy at noon. On hot days, if you get too many people in the pool, it uses up the chlorine pretty quickly.

On the other hand, a pool that has had a poor track record isn't necessarily unsafe now.

Low chlorine levels and cloudy pool water can be dangerous and have been linked with illness or accidental death. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the summer of 1988, 44 people contracted diarrhea after using a swimming pool at a school in Los Angeles County where a swimmer accidentally defecated in the water.

In 2004, the same parasite sickened more than 250 visitors and employees at a San Luis Obispo County water park. Parasite eggs were later found in the water slides' filter. In a report published in 2006 in the journal Epidemiology and Infection, investigators said the water park's operator failed to keep daily records of water quality and may have violated state requirements for clean pools and clear water in its wading pools. The report also said pool employees came to work even when they were sick.

    Cloudiness in a pool is usually triggered by debris – urine, sweat, dirt, and skin oil or laundry detergent – that is introduced by swimmers, and there's a point at which the amount of debris overtakes the amount of chlorine in the pool. The problem is exacerbated when pool water does not circulate properly though a filter.

**** Look before you leap ****

Check for these common signs of whether a pool is clean:

• Cloudy or greenish water, which indicates that there is not enough disinfectant in the pool. Such water could facilitate the spread of bacteria or parasites that may cause disease. You should be able to clearly see painted stripes and the bottom of the pool.
  
• Odor. A well-chlorinated pool has little odor; a strong chemical smell indicates a maintenance problem.
  
• The sound of pool equipment in operation. Pool pumps and filtration systems are loud, and you should be able to hear them.
  
• Fecal matter in the pool, which can spread disease.
  

 

General advice

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea; germs can easily spread throughout the pool.
  
• Avoid swallowing pool water, and avoid getting water in your mouth.
  
• Shower before using the pool.
  
• Don't jump in the pool with your clothes; dirt and laundry detergent help contaminate pool water.
  
• Don't change diapers by the poolside.
  
• Take children to the bathroom often.
  

Test the water

Consider checking the pool water by buying pool chlorine test strips, which can be found at home improvement stores, discount retailers and pool supply stores. Instructions can be found by going to the links below:

www.cdc.gow/healthyswimming/swimmer_propection.htm

www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention