An alarming number of public pools were cited for health violations in a new report released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 19. They found that one in eight inspections prompted for immediate closure, citing serious health and safety violations.
Unsafe Public Pools
Every year, the CDC releases a report that forces thousands of public pools, hot tubs and water playgrounds to close because of serious health hazards. The report released on Thursday is to remind the public of the possible health risks found in pools. It's released just ahead of summer, where a surge of visitors is expected, Newsweek reported
Federal health officials said around 80 percent of the 48,632 water venues that were inspected in 2013 were found to violate at least one safety or hygiene rule, Fox News added. Alarmingly, one in eight of the pools had to be closed right away due to grave health and safety violations. The kiddie and wading pools were found to have the most problems, with one in five closing down due to violations, U.S News added.
The CDC studied the states with the most public swimming facilities. These are Arizona, Ca.lifornia, Florida, New York and Texas. These findings highlight a public health threat ahead of summer, the CDC warned. The findings were published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Week Report.
"This is particularly troubling because children who are still learning their toiletry skills are more likely to contaminate the water and more likely to swallow the water, both of which can lead to diarrheal illness," Michael Beach, the CDC's associate director for healthy water, said during a telephone conference.
Surprising Facts About Public Pools
Pools are meant to be a respite from the heat and humidity during summer that's why the CDC makes it a point to make sure that the public water venues are safe. Last year, the CC released a report to let everyone know that the smell of the pool is actually from the chemicals that form when chlorine mixes with pee, poop, sweat, and dirt from swimmers' bodies. These chemicals and not the chlorine can cause your eyes to get red and sting, make your nose run and make you cough.
So the CDC recommends that you bring in water test strips along with your bathing suits when you hit the pool. They are mostly available in hardware and houseware stores. They should meet the follow standards: free chlorine concentration of at least 1 parts per million (ppm) in pools, or 3 ppm in hot tubs; free bromine concentration of at least 3ppm in pools or 4 ppm in hot tubs; PH levels between 7.2 and 7.8.
What do you think of this report? Are you still going to hit the pool? Meanwhile, check out the most dangerous amusement park in the world.
