Water Quality & Health Council: Would You Know If Your Local Pool Failed Its Health Inspection? Unlikely, Survey Reveals

Survey Finds Many Swimmers Unaware of Potential Health Risks

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May 15, 2018, 09:45 ET

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Americans will soon head to their local swimming pool, but a new survey finds that many swimmers aren't aware they might be wading into potential health risks at the pool.

The annual Healthy Pools survey, conducted by the Water Quality & Health Council, found that 63 percent of adults have never checked health inspection reports before swimming in a public pool, with another 15 percent checking those reports only sparingly. In response, the Water Quality & Health Council, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Swimming Pool Foundation^® (NSPF^®) are teaming up to get the word out about healthy and safe swimming before Memorial Day weekend.

These survey findings are especially concerning in light of a 2016 CDC report that found nearly 8 in 10 routine inspections of public pools turned up at least one violation of health and safety rules, and 1 in 8 found problems so serious the pool had to be closed immediately.

"Swimmers and parents of young swimmers can take a few simple but effective steps to help protect themselves and their families from germs and maximize fun at the pool," said Michele Hlavsa, RN, MPH, epidemiologist and chief of the CDC's Healthy Swimming Program. "Stay out or keep your kids out of the water if sick with diarrhea, check the pool's latest inspection score, and do your own mini-inspection before getting in the water."

In the national survey, swimmers admitted to some unhealthy swimming habits, including:

Most adults (52 percent) never shower before swimming. Only 29 percent shower for at least one minute, the length of time needed to remove most contaminants from a swimmer's body.
One in four swimmers (27 percent) admits that they have peed in the pool as an adult.
17 percent of adults would swim within one hour of having diarrhea. This is especially concerning because Cryptosporidium (or Crypto), a microscopic parasite, is the most common cause of diarrheal illness linked to pools.

To read the complete release, click here.

The Water Quality & Health Council is an independent group of scientific experts, health professionals and consumer advocates who advise the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council.

SOURCE Water Quality & Health Council