JACKSONVILLE, Fla – The CDC found nearly eight out of 10 public swimming pools turned up at least one violation of safety rules.
Also one out of eight found problems so serious the pool had to close immediately.
79 percent of routine inspections turned up at least one code volation. Among the most common violations were problems with a pool's pH level, not having the proper safety equipment, and problems with concentration of disinfectants.
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Florida was one of 5 states in the study because of it's high number of public water facilities. Researchers looked at 50,000 pools, pointing out that it doesn't reflect all states or venues but the authors said the findings stress the need to improve the maintenance of public aquatic facilities.
Public pools have the potential to carry tiny bits of fecal matter, parasites and volatile chemicals that could make you sick.
The right balance of chemicals can kill bacteria but not overly expose swimmers to unnecessary chemicals.
The CDC suggest if you're going to a public pool visit a pool supply or hardware store and pick up some test strips that measure pH and disinfectants in the water.
You can get them for less than 10 bucks. A healthy pool has a pH between 7.2-7.8.
Also never swim when you're sick . If someone has diarrhea in a pool it will have to be shut down and decontaminated. In some cases diarrhea can close a pool for several days.
You can also search your local pool. They're regularly inspected and those Florida reports are available here: http://www.floridahealth.gov/statistics-and-data/eh-tracking-and-reporting/swimming-pools.html