If you want to stay safe and healthy at your local community pool, there’s more to remember than no running in the splash zone. From water-borne diseases to rashes and other infections, here are a few precautions to take before diving into swim season:
Test the waters. It’s tempting to make a beeline for the water. But experts say you should know what you’re getting into — literally and figuratively — before jumping into the pool.
“The last time we went through large batches of pool inspection data forms, in some of the states, we saw that 1 out of 8 routine pool inspections … resulted in an immediate closure” due to poor water quality, says Dr. Michael Beach, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Waterborne Diseases Branch. “Many times it was due to a lack of chlorine.”
There are myriad reasons why there could be insufficient chlorine levels in the water, Dr. Beach says: malfunctioning pool equipment, lack of oversight or insufficient employee training, to name a few. Regardless of why, when the pH or chlorine in the water is too low, bacteria, germs and viruses can proliferate. (The flip side? If there’s too much chlorine in the pool, swimmers can experience coughing, nausea, burning eyes and throat, and other unpleasant symptoms.)
Wondering if your pool’s properly maintained? It’s easy to find out, says Tom Lachocki, who has a doctorate in chemistry and is CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, a nonprofit that provides training and certification for aquatic professionals. Just buy some test strips — most are available at home improvement stores — that measure the pH and free chlorine level in the water. “These are the most important parameters; to make sure you have disinfectant in the water, and to make sure the disinfectant is working properly,” Lachocki says. Test strips are typically inexpensive, accurate and easy to use.
Also, feel free to ask pool managers about the pool’s upkeep, says Dr. Ralph Morris, a physician and public health official who was formerly the executive director of the Galveston County Health District in La Marque, Texas. Is the water’s proper chemistry maintained — particularly in terms of pH and chlorine levels? Is the water run through filters and a chlorinator? What was the health inspector’s grade for the facility after its last inspection? These simple questions can yield revealing answers.
Take a shower before you swim. Oil. Sweat. Sunscreen. Bug repellent. Makeup. Dirt. If it’s on your skin — and it’s been a while since you last bathed — it’ll soon be in the pool.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Water Quality & Health Council, more than 40 percent of swimmers skip the shower and jump straight into the water. But to keep the facilities clean, it’s important to always rinse off before swimming, says Chris Wiant, chair of the Water Quality & Health Council, an independent group sponsored by the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council.
Don’t pee in the pool or go swimming with diarrhea. It sounds like a no-brainer — don’t pee in the pool. But in a recent survey by the Water Quality & Health Council, 55 percent of respondents admitted to urinating in the water at least once.
Aside from the obvious “ick” factor, there are health consequences of peeing in the pool, Lachocki says. The interaction between the ammonia in the urine and the chlorine in the pool forms a chemical called chloramine. Chloramine is less effective at killing bacteria than chlorine, and it can lead to an increase in water-borne illnesses.
Swimming with diarrhea is also a huge hazard, Lachocki says. That’s because cryptosporidium — a germ that causes diarrhea and is found in the fecal matter of someone who’s infected — is chlorine-resistant due to its tough outer shell. According to Lachocki, it can survive in pools for days.
Even if it’s been a week or so since you fell ill with diarrhea, it’s still not safe for others if you get into the pool. Microscopic amounts of infected fecal matter can get into the pool and make everyone else sick if they accidentally swallow the water. Experts recommend that individuals with diarrhea wait at least two weeks before going swimming again. Yet, despite constant warnings from public health officials and pool administrators, diarrhea remains the most common recreational water illness, and can be caused by germs ranging from norovirus to E. coli.
Kids with diapers can also be problematic, Morris says. Even if a diaper is labeled “waterproof” or has a rubber cover, there’s still a good chance it’ll contaminate the water. He recommends staying out of the pool — even if the diaper’s been recently changed.
Don’t drink the water. It seems obvious, but here’s this season’s reminder: Don’t drink or swallow pool water, Wiant says. This reduces your chance of becoming infected with a disease.
Take regular breaks. Between sunburn, heatstroke, dehydration and low blood sugar, a long day at the pool can take a toll on the body. Lachocki recommends parents round up their kids at regular intervals for a quick food, water, sunscreen and bathroom break.
“Every hour, get your kids out of the pool,” Lachocki says. “Have a snack. Apply some sunscreen. And go to the restroom. Biologically and physiologically, after 45 minutes of someone being immersed in the water, they have to pee; it’s due to physiology and the compression of being in the water.”
Watch out for uncovered drains. “Keep an eye on the main drains” — the portals that suck water into the filtration system, Lachocki says. “If you see them damaged, broken or missing, they should be reported to the facilities right away and closed until they’re replaced.”
Drowning accidents have occurred, Lachocki says, after swimmers’ limbs or hair became entrapped in drains and they couldn’t surface for air. According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least nine people died in pool drains and 63 were injured from 1999 to 2007.
Thanks to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007, all public pools with one main drain are required to have anti-entrapment drain covers and automatic release systems. But accidents do happen, and there’s a slim — but real — chance these covers could become defective, Lachocki says.
Refrain from swimming with wounds. There are many myths suggesting that swimming in chlorine or salt water can help “disinfect” or clean a wound. In fact, Beach says, an open wound is an entry point for germs. Don’t go swimming with a major cut or injury.
Bring eardrops, goggles and pool shoes. Protect your eyes, ears and feet at the pool. Bring a pair of goggles to shield your eyes from the water — and keep in mind they’re not turning red because of the chlorine. (According to Wiant, it’s the chloramine, urine, sweat or other biological products binding with the chlorine that’s making your vision blurry.)
Pack some ear drops in your swim bag. The CDC says outer ear infections — which result from contaminated water getting trapped in the ear, causing bacteria growth — are the most common undocumented outbreaks at pools. Alcohol-based solutions can help drain and dry your ears, preventing a future trip to the doctor’s office.
And wear pool shoes, such as flip-flops or rubber clogs, while walking around the deck or locker room. This way, you won’t get athlete’s foot.
Change your bathing suit. You can get hot tub rash — a bumpy, itchy infection that’s often caused by the germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa — if you’ve taken a dip in a poorly maintained pool or Jacuzzi. They’re uncomfortable, but usually go away in a few days. However, you can decrease your risk of getting a rash by putting on a fresh bathing suit or changing into dry clothing shortly after swimming, Beach says. Leaving on a wet bathing suit increases exposure of contaminated water to skin — which is why the rash is often worse in areas covered by a bathing suit than in other regions of the body.
Put away your cell phone. Morris says he’s heard increasing reports that poolside texting is becoming a safety hazard at community recreation facilities. It’s an understandable situation, he says. If you’re a parent, babysitter or guardian, it’s tempting to check your text messages while your ward runs around the pool area or splashes in the water. The lifeguard’s watching your child, even if you aren’t — right?
Long story short: Yes — yours and 20 others, says Sheli Msall, a 27-year-old former lifeguard from Little Rock, Arkansas. And even if the lifeguard is well trained and vigilant, his or her attention is focused on swimmers and not necessarily deck activity.
“Lifeguards are not looking for health and safety in the sense of what’s going on in the deck,” says Richard Carroll, senior vice president for Jeff Ellis & Associates, an international organization that trains lifeguards and other aquatic employees. “Lifeguards are focused on their zone of protection. They’re able to prevent and manage a distressed swimmer when they’re on stand, but that’s their exclusive responsibility, other than to say ‘No running’ or stopping folks from entering the water in areas they’re not supposed to.”
According to the CDC, about 60 percent of drowning deaths among children occur in swimming pools. And when pools get crowded and there are only one or two lifeguards on duty, it can be hard to juggle multiple responsibilities, Msall says. Every set of eyes counts.
“When a parent is watching a child in a swimming pool, they should really put down their smartphone and pay attention to the water,” Morris says. “Even taking an eye off that young child swimming is potentially hazardous and could lead to drowning” or other accidents.
Make sure your lifeguard is present and available. Your lifeguard is certified and trained in first aid, CPR and rescue techniques. However, those qualifications matter little if he or she isn’t able to adequately watch the swimmers. Some pool managers saddle lifeguards with additional responsibilities, such as pool maintenance or regulating guest behavior — a practice that’s a big no-no, Carroll says: A lifeguard should never be required to do anything that might keep him or her from providing immediate assistance to someone in the water.
Contact the proper authorities. Say you think a water slide is unsafe, or your lifeguards need additional training. Speak to the pool’s supervisor or manager, Carroll says. Often, depending on the type of facility, you might have to dig deeper and contact local municipalities — a health department, a related in-state department or, in some cases, an agricultural department that also oversees swimmers ‘ health — to effect change.
Use your senses. It’s easy to scope out an unhealthy swimming session if you know what to look for, Morris says. He recommends using the “four senses” (he excludes taste for obvious reasons) to evaluate a pool’s upkeep and safety.
Use your eyes to make sure the water is clear; cloudy water can be a safety hazard for lifeguards, who need to be able to see straight to the pool’s bottom. Plus, it might signify inadequate filtration, a pH imbalance or inadequate chlorine levels in the water.
Touch the tiles and sides of the pool; if they’re slimy or covered in algae, this might mean the pool lacks proper filtration, circulation or sanitation.
Listen for machinery whirring in the background, which tells you whether the pool’s pumps and filtration systems are working.
And don’t forget to use your nose. Chloramine gives off a sharp, potent odor; if you step into a pool and smell fumes in the air, this might be an indication that the pool’s maintenance is not up to snuff. A well-managed pool, Wiant says, should not have a strong chemical smell.
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