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TAYLORSVILLE — Red eyes after swimming is from too much chlorine. That's false.
Urinating in a pool changes the water color: also false. Clear water always equals clean water. That's false, too.
Salt Lake County Health Department officials met Tuesday at the Taylorsville Recreation Center, 4948 S. 2700 West, to debunk common pool myths that help spread recreational water illnesses.
"There's a lot of misconceptions out there that actually can cause public health issues, especially related to public pools, if people are unaware," said Rick Ledbetter, water quality and hazardous waste specialist for the health department.
According to a survey by the Water Quality and Health Council, one in five Americans have admitted to urinating in a public swimming pool. Ledbetter said while some people think peeing in a pool is OK because of the chemicals in the water, urinating in a public pool actually reduces the levels of chlorine. This is because nitrogen from urine and sweat bonds to chlorine and creates chloramine, which can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system.
Pool patron Keelei Sundquist said she understands the need to keep pools clean, but wonders about the effectiveness of pool chemicals when others don't follow the rules.
The average person has 0.14 grams of feces on their rear end. If you think about how many people are entering the pool without showering, can you just imagine the amount of contamination that will be entering that body of water?
–Rick Ledbetter, water quality and hazardous waste specialist
"You kind of wonder, when you see a kid in the swimming pool and they haven't gotten out in two hours, what's going on," Sundquist said.
Showering before entering a pool, taking frequent bathroom breaks, not changing diapers by the pool, washing hands and above all, not entering a pool or hot tub if experiencing diarrhea are all important steps in preventing recreational water illness, Ledbetter said.
"The average person has 0.14 grams of feces on their rear end," he said. "If you think about how many people are entering the pool without showering, can you just imagine the amount of contamination that will be entering that body of water?"
Cryptosporidious, an illness characterized by diarrhea caused by cryptosporidium protozoa found in feces, rampaged through Utah in 2007 when swimmers failed to thoroughly shower and stay out of pools when they had showed signs of illness, Ledbetter said.
No cases of crypto have been reported yet this year, though it's too early in the outdoor pool season to tell if it will stay that way, he said.
"I think what causes most outbreaks, whether we're talking crypto or some other disease, is apathy," said Nicholas Rupp, a spokesman for the Salt Lake County Health Department. "It's people not knowing or not caring enough to take the steps they need to. That's why we're here, is to make sure the public knows what they need to do and why they need to do and how to protect themselves."
Katie McKellar is a Dixie State University graduate with a bachelor of science in mass communication. Before interning at Deseret News, she reported and edited news content for Dixie Sun News, first as Photo Editor, then as Features Editor. Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com
