One in Eight Public Swimming Pools Failed Inspection

In that swimming is the third most popular US sport or exercise activity, with approximately 314 million visits to recreational water venues, including swimming pools annually, the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) issued a report examining pool code compliance in public pools across the country.  The CDC found pool operation violations to be quite common, with disinfectant and pH level violations found among 10.7% and 8.9% of pool inspections, respectively.  This equated to one of every eight public swimming pools sufficiently extensive to require immediate closure.  The CDC urges that such violations are particularly important because improper disinfectant and pH levels can result in transmission of chlorine- and bromine-susceptible pathogens.  Reduced chlorine levels and lower inspection scores have been associated with positive microbiologic water testing results.