Public Pool Safety

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If you don’t currently own your own private swimming pool, you probably have a public pool close to home that you and your family can stay cool in this summer. Most public pools charge a membership fee, and many will allow you to bring a guest for a nominal fee. As all parents know, kids have a lot more fun while swimming with friends than swimming alone.

Public pools offer a wonderful alternative for those who don’t or can’t have a swimming pool at their private homes, and can facilitate highly enjoyable bonding experiences for siblings, cousins, friends, neighbors, couples and families.

While enjoying your summertime jaunts to your local swimming pool complex, you can ensure that everyone with you not only has a great time, but also a safe time in the heat of summer in Dallas. Pool service professional recommend following several pool safety guidelines in order to protect against pool injuries and to prevent the contraction of certain illnesses.

  • Stay alert – While this may seem like a tip that doesn’t need saying, even the most loving and dedicated parents make mistakes. It can be somewhat easier to keep a good eye on your littlest family members while swimming at a private pool, where there are a very limited number of people. Public pools are often packed with swimmers, which means that you must remain vigilant at all times if you are in charge of young children. Using your cell phone, reading and relaxing with your eyes closed are all examples of behaviors that are not advisable at public pools.
  • Travel with a test kit – Ideally, you should be swimming in a chemically balanced pool to minimize your risk of serious skin and eye irritation, and contracting water-borne infections like the norovirus. Bringing your own pool test kit to the public pool might feel slightly awkward at first, but a simple and very quick dip of the kit into the water will show you whether the pool is clean or contaminated. If you discover that the pool is not healthy, don’t get in. Do let the pool manager know your findings, and consider alerting your local health department.
  • Take time outs – Even on the hottest days of the summer, you should gather your entire group outside of the public pool to take breaks at regular intervals. During these breaks, have children use the restroom so there are no unwelcome accidents in the pool later on, reapply sunscreen, and replenish body fluids with cold drinks. Swimming and water play is physically demanding, so bringing along healthy snacks is also recommended. Avoid eating anything heavy before jumping back in to avoid stomach cramps.

One of the best things you can do to guarantee that your public pool is safe is to do some research on it beforehand. Many public pools are subjected to regular check-ups by the health department, and many states have records of how each public pool has scored. If you can’t locate your community pool in any records online, look for reviews by other swimmers on the cleanliness and safety of the pool as well as their overall experience there.

Image credit: USAG Livorno PAO