There is more to pool safety than strong swimming skills and following the “Pool Rules” to avoid injury or

drowning. In some instances a pool that looks clean may be harboring unseen dangers.
 

Some swimmers can be affected by “recreational water illnesses” or RWI’s.   A swimmer can contract an RWI by swallowing pool water that contains chloramines. When urine, sweat, sun-screen, etc. interacts with the already present chlorine in a pool, a substance called chloramine is the result. Chloramine in pool water can be the culprit behind symptoms such as breathing difficulties, skin rashes, and eye and throat irritation. Substances like sun-screen, sweat, and urine introduce nitrogen into the water further reducing the amount of “free chlorine” needed to maintain healthy and safe pool water. Showering before entering a pool helps reduce the substances that lower “free chlorine.”

 

A more serious and harmful issue is that of cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium is, “a parasite excreted by humans and animals in the stool that is one of the most common disease causing organisms lurking in pool water.”¹ Ingesting a cryptosporidium from swimming pool water often will cause diarrhea.

 

Disease causing organisms in pool water can be resistant to chlorine and can survive in a pool with excellent water quality and chemical balance. A pool that looks clean with crystal clear water may not be completely safe. Cryptosporidium can survive for more than a week in an otherwise clean pool environment. The best way to avoid contracting these dangerous organisms is to not swallow pool water and try not to get any water from the pool in your mouth. Also, a pool’s waterline tile should not have a slick surface and the pool should be free of strong odors.

 

Recent research indicates that swim diapers should be given another look. Dr. James Amburgey of UNC-Charlotte conducted research that suggests that the spread of illness from recreational water is not stopped by swim diapers. “Amburgey and his team tested various swim diapers, including disposables and the reusable variety – with and without vinyl diaper covers. They simulated the release of disease-causing microspheres and found swim diapers release approximately 50 percent of the microspheres within one minute. Vinyl diaper covers lower the rate to about 25 percent.”²

 

You can do your part to help keep your pool’s water as safe as possible. Encourage young swimmers to make regular restroom visits. Diaper changes should be done in a restroom far from the pool’s water. Anyone with symptoms of diarrhea or other stomach ailments should not use a swimming pool!

 

¹ “How Safe is Water in Swimming Pools?” by Dr. Ranit Mishori, Parade, August 2, 2009, pg. 12.

 

² “Studies Show Pool Hygiene Poor” by Kendra Kozen, Pool & Spa News, June 23, 2009.