Splash Palace manager Pete Thompson with a poster he is displaying around the Invercargill swimming pool complex after five kids nearly drowned in the past six weeks.

Five children have nearly drowned at Invercargill's Splash Palace swimming pools in the past six weeks because their caregivers were not watching them, the manager says.

Pool management wants parents to get off their phones and focus on the kids in the water, saying three of the five children required an ambulance and were hospitalised.

One was "blue" and floating on his back when pulled from the pool and another was given CPR at the poolside.

Splash Palace manager Pete Thompson said the five kids were aged between five and eight and in all cases there was a lack of parental or caregiver supervision.

None suffered any long term damage, "but the potential was there", he said.

Lifeguards were at the pool to monitor the swimmers but if they had to enter the water to save someone then all the other steps required of parents and caregivers had failed, he said.

"I don't know if people expect lifesavers to be babysitters, but we expect the adults to be more switched on, particularly with young kids."

"My son is five and I wouldn't dream of letting him in the pool on his own and unsupervised, but people do."

Thompson was particularly concerned at the increasing number of parents and caregivers who spend their time looking at their iphones and reading books and newspapers instead of watching the kids.

"We have noticed in the last few months especially, it's getting worse. The lack of active supervision is getting worse."

No-one has drowned at Splash Palace, but the increasing number of near misses has prompted changes to be made.

From Monday, October, 5, if pool staff identify any children who aren't being properly supervised their caregivers will be spoken to.

"If they continue to not supervise them properly we will ask them to leave the facility," Thompson said.

"We want to be very clear and firm with people that they must appropriately supervise their children. The outcome of not doing so is something we don't want to see happen."

And from Wednesday, October 7, all kids under the age of eight at Splash Palace will be required to wear high visibility wristbands so pool staff can easily identify the high-risk kids and see who is not being properly supervised.

Current pool rules state that children under the age of five must be within arms reach of their caregiver at all times; and children under the age of eight must be actively supervised by their caregivers at all times.

But from December 1 the "within arms reach" rule will apply to all children under the age of seven.

Posters have also been put up around the pool complex telling people to get off their phones, while the posters also warn that drowning is silent.

People often have misconceptions about drowning, Thompson said.

"There's [often] no splashing, no crying out for help, people just disappear under the water."

FACTBOX

August 23: An 8-year-old girl was hospitalised after nearly drowning in the leisure pool. She was pulled her out of the water and staff gave her CPR and she coughed up water and started breathing.

"She was here with neighbours and they weren't watching her," Thompson said.

September 4: A 6-year-old boy was hospitalised after going into deep water and nearly drowning while his dad spent a "few seconds" checking emails on his cellphone instead of watching him. The boy coughed up water when removed from the pool.

September 29: A 5-year-old child, who was out of their depth, was rescued.

October 1: An 8-year-old child, who was out of their depth, was rescued.