Nearly 80 Percent of Public Pools Have Health, Safety Problems: CDC

By SHERRI LONON (Patch Staff)

With most Hudson Valley public swimming pools set to open toward the end of June, one might want to think twice about diving into the water blindly.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 80 percent of all public pools have at least one major violation. About one in eight inspections, in fact, ends in the “immediate closure” of a public aquatic center’s facilities because of serious health or safety violations.

Those numbers come from a study recently published by the CDC. The study focused on inspection data collected in 2013 from the country’s five states with the highest number of public pools and hot tubs. Not surprisingly, New York was among the states included. The others were California, Texas, Arizona and Florida.

All told, researchers looked at 84,187 routine inspection reports related to 48,632 public aquatic venues, the CDC reported on its website. The venues had such water features as pools, water playgrounds, hot tubs and “other places where people swim in treated waters.”

The CDC listed among its key findings:

• That one in five kiddie/wading pools were closed, which was the highest proportion of closing among all venues inspected.
• The most common violations were improper pH, safety equipment and disinfectant concentration.

“No one should get sick or hurt when visiting a public pool, hot tub, or water playground,” Beth Bell, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. “That’s why public health and aquatics professionals work together to improve the operation and maintenance of these public places so people will be healthy and safe when they swim.”

While the findings across the five states might be a little disconcerting, the CDC does offer these suggestions for those planning to visit public — or private — pools:

• Pick up test strips from a pool supply store and test the water. A free chlorine concentration should be at least 1 ppm in pools and 3 ppm in hot tubs/spas, the CDC says. For free bromine concentrations, the level should be 3 ppm in pools and 4 ppms, at least, in hot tubs and spas. The pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8.
• Look before leaping — The bottom of the deep end should be visible
• Check drain covers — These covers should be secured in good repair to prevent swimmers getting trapped in them.
• Look for a lifeguard or safety equipment — Public pools should have lifeguards on duty or at least a rescue ring, pole or other safety equipment handy.

To find out more about safe swimming, visit the CDC online.

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