Nearly 80 percent of all public pools in the US had committed at least one violation of public health and safety rules, and 1-in-8 had problems serious enough to warrant immediate closure, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The statistics, based on more than 84,000 routine inspections of nearly 49,000 public pools and other aquatic venues in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas, found that 15 percent had issues with pH balance, while 13 percent had problems with safety equipment and 12 percent had incorrect disinfectant concentration levels, according to ABC News.

Pools in those states were chosen because they are home to an estimated 40 percent of the more than 309,000 public water parks in the US, the Los Angeles Times noted, and while they are not necessarily representative of public pools throughout the country, the CDC’s findings are certain to cause some concern among parents as we draw closer to the start of summer.

“No one should get sick or hurt when visiting a public pool, hot tub, or water playground,” said Dr. Beth Bell of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “That’s why public health and aquatics professionals work together to improve the operation and maintenance of these public places so people will be healthy and safe when they swim.”

So what should you do to protect yourself and your children?

The report revealed that 79 percent of routine inspections in those five states revealed at least one code violation, with some facilities having as many as 21 separate violations. In 12 percent of the cases, the inspections revealed a violation that forced the immediate closure of the pool, the CDC said, and one in five kiddie or wading pools had to be shut down due to various issues.

“This report’s findings underscore the need to improve the operation and maintenance of U.S. public aquatic facilities to prevent illness and injury,” the study authors reported.

So what can parents or swimmers do in the meantime? As Dr. Robert Glatter, a physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the preparation of the CDC study said to ABC News, the first step is to pay attention to the pool’s condition. If the bottom of the pool is visible, he said, it’s a good sign that it is clean and well maintained – but those with concerns can ask a lifeguard or manager about the facility’s safety-related practices.

Furthermore, the CDC advises purchasing test strips, available at pool supply shops or hardware stores, that can measure the pH and disinfectant content of a pool’s water. A pool should have a pH balance of between 7.2 and 7.8, chlorine levels that are at least 1 part per million (for regular pool water) or 3ppm (for hot tubs), and bromine levels that are at least 3ppm (for pools) or 4ppm (for hot tubs), according to the Los Angeles Times.

And while is really should not need to be said, the agency also advises people to do their part to keep the pools free of fecal matter, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Diapers should be changed in the restrooms or changing area, not by poolside, and adults currently experiencing or recovering from a bout of diarrhea probably should not swim, and if/when they do return to the pool, they should make sure to have a good shower beforehand.

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Image credit: Thinkstock

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