Pools make swimming accessible to just about anyone. They’re the perfect setting to have a lot of fun. Safety is an essential part of swimming, and part of pool safety is ensuring the water is clean and balanced before you get in. Pools with clean, balanced water are safer to swim in for multiple reasons.
Preventing the Spread of Viruses and Bacteria
While not all viruses and bacteria can spread in pools (there hasn’t been evidence of COVID-19 spreading through pool water, for example) plenty of illness-causing viruses and bacteria can. Salmonella, norovirus, and E. coli are just a few examples of waterborne pathogens that can contaminate pool water. Fortunately, pool water that has been properly sanitized and balanced isn’t hospitable to viruses and bacteria. Preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria is just one reason why clean, balanced pool water is safer.
Killing Algae
It doesn’t matter if there’s a lot of algae in the pool or just a little of it–if you see algae in a pool, you shouldn’t swim in it. Algae is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria that can cause skin, ear, and eye infections. Fortunately, water that is clean and balanced so that it sits within the appropriate ranges for alkalinity, pH, and water hardness isn’t compatible with algae growth. Without algae to feed on, bacteria won’t be quite as numerous.
Avoiding Irritation
The chemicals used to sanitize and balance pool water are great at doing their jobs when added in the right quantities and when given enough time to work. As with most things in life, you can have too much or too little of a good thing. Having either too much or too little of any of the necessary pool-balancing chemicals will result in water that isn’t safe or comfortable to swim in. Balanced pool water shouldn’t cause skin irritation or burn your eyes.
If you have a pool of your own, you should test the water weekly and adjust it if necessary. You may not have a test kit handy to test the water at your public pool though. Use your senses to make your best judgment. Water should be clear and clean. It should feel wet, not slimy. It shouldn’t smell like chlorine either. While not foolproof, these indicators can help you judge whether or not pool water is safe to swim in.
Public or private, keeping pool water clean and balanced is critical to safe swimming. Don’t stress about doing it all on your own though. Let SwimJim help! Click here to learn about our pool management services today!