Summer swimming safety shared

VALLEY — Make sure summer fun isn’t spoiled by recreational water illness. Even the best maintained pools can spread germs, so it is important to do your part to help stop germs from getting into the pool in the first place.

Swimmers who are sick with diarrhea—or who have been sick in the last two weeks—risk contaminating the water with germs. Twenty percent of Americans don’t know that swimming while ill with diarrhea can contaminate water. We share the water with everyone in the pool. Swallowing even a small amount of pool water that has been contaminated can make you sick. Children are at greater risk of getting sick because they’re much more likely to get water in their mouths.

The great news is that germs causing recreational water illnesses are killed by chlorine. However, chlorine doesn’t work right away. It takes time to kill germs, and some germs like Cryptosporidium can live in pools for days.

Protect yourself and other swimmers with these easy and effective steps all swimmers can take each time we swim:

• Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and dirt out of the water! Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea. Shower before you get in the water. Don’t pee or poop in the water. Don’t swallow the water.

• Every hour—everyone out! Take kids on bathroom breaks. Check diapers, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area–not poolside–to keep germs away from the pool. Reapply sunscreen. Drink plenty of fluids.

• Check the free chlorine level and pH before getting into the water.

Pools: Proper free chlorine level (2.5-5 parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) maximize germ-killing power.

Hot tubs/spas: Proper disinfectant level (chlorine [2.5 - 5 parts per million or ppm] or bromine [2-10 ppm] and pH [7.2–7.8]) maximize germ-killing power.

Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool-supply stores sell pool test strips.