Swimming with germs?
No laws regulate cleanliness of Tuscaloosa County's public pools
By Lydia Seabol
Staff Writer
July 27, 2006
TUSCALOOSA | On a sweltering day, it's not likely that many swimmers think about what germs lurk in public pools before taking the plunge.
Perhaps they should.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recreational water illnesses can spread quickly in swimming pools that aren't properly maintained.
Serious diseases caused by such bacteria as cryptospordidum, giardia, E. coli and shigella can be contracted by ingesting water contaminated with fecal matter. While symptoms can be as minor as diarrhea or skin, ear or eye infections, these illnesses can be fatal in people with weak immune systems.
But swimmers who want to be sure of a pool's cleanliness often must put their faith in the owner or operator. No state or local laws regulate the cleanliness of public pools in Tuscaloosa County. Federal regulations are in place, but there is no local enforcement, said Randy Dixon, assistant director of the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority. There are no government pool inspectors, and it is up to the operators or owners of the pools to ensure the water is kept clean.
"We do not regulate pools or inspect pools, and I really don't know who does," said Greg Utley, environmental supervisor at the Tuscaloosa County Health Department.
While PARA follows the federal rules, in 2004 it installed a more stringent automated testing system at its four public pools, based on Jefferson County's regulations.
"We took the federal guidelines and adapted other processes to make sure that the community at large is safe when they visit one of our facilities," Dixon said. "I assume that Tuscaloosa County will have to step up to the plate in the future and adopt some sort of regulations."
According to CDC recommendations, a pool should have chlorine levels continuously between 1 and 3 parts per million and maintain a pH level between 7.2 to 7.8. The pH and disinfectant levels should be tested at least twice per day, or hourly when the pool is heavily used.
Having clean bathrooms with diaper changing areas at the pool facility is also important because many of the germs causing waterborne illnesses come from swimmers or infants with diarrhea. A single fecal accident can contain thousands of disease-causing germs and could contaminate an entire pool or water park, causing hundreds of cases of illness.
The number of diarrheal outbreaks linked to swimming pools is relatively low, averaging about 10 per year, according to the CDC. But that number is likely a tiny fraction of the cases that actually occur because most diarrheal illnesses are not reported to health officials.
The four PARA-run pools at Bowers Park, Freeman Park, McAbee Activity Center and Phelps Activity Center have never had a reported recreational water illness, Dixon said.
He attributes the pools' cleanliness to the automated system that was installed at the PARA pools. The computerized systems test the water's chlorine and pH levels hourly and automatically inject more chemicals when needed. All the water in the pool is re-circulated through a filter every six hours to make sure the pool is clean, Dixon said.
At the Indian Hills Country Club pool, the water is tested twice a week to make sure the chemical levels are what they should be. Pool manager Jamie Griffin said he takes the water samples to a private company to be tested. If more chlorine needs to be added, he does that manually.
Other publicly used pools, such as those at many hotels and apartment complexes, have their pool water tested by a private company or are maintained by the owners.
