Safe To Swim In Green Water?
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Is it safe to swim in green water? If you are here for the short answer only then the answer is no. It is not safe to swim in green water. For most people asking this question you probably want to be convinced a little bit more. It is probably hot outside. You (or more likely your kids) want to go swimming but the pool water is not looking so great. While this simple description might include pools with a slight hint of green but also pools with putrid, green water, unfortunately the answer for both is the same in that it is simply not safe to swim.
Unpacking this just a little bit further it is important to understand why it is not safe to swim. There is no guarantee that you will get sick or die from swimming in green pool water, or any green water source for that matter, but the chance does exist. With proper chemical conditioning pool water can be made to be predictably safe. However, the presence of the green color to the water indicates that something is wrong with the pool chemistry. It is unknown at this point what precisely is wrong with the pool water...only that something is wrong and so the door is open to potentially get sick (or worse) from swimming in it. So what could potentially be unsafe about the water? What kind of nasty stuff are we dealing with here?
Bacterial Infections - Untreated water can harbor bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, leading to gastrointestinal infections.
Viral Infections - Water may contain viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A, causing illnesses such as gastroenteritis and hepatitis.
Parasitic Infections - Stagnant water is a breeding ground for parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, which can cause gastrointestinal issues.
Skin Infections - Poorly treated water may contain harmful microorganisms that can cause skin infections, including dermatitis and rashes.
Leptospirosis: - This bacterial infection is associated with stagnant water and can be contracted through contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Amoebic Infections - Water bodies can sometimes contain amoebas such as Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a severe brain infection (amoebic meningoencephalitis).
Occurrence of issues like these relating to swimming pools and specifically poor water quality are on the rise and it is speculated that phosphates found in our environment today are contributing to these problems. Phosphates were not something encountered 20 to 30 years ago in the swimming pool industry (or agriculture) but they are common place now and can lead to trouble establishing and holding chlorine levels. This is directly connected to the quality of the water in the pool since chlorine, plainly put, is the main line of defense you have in your pool against the items listed above.
Green water in your pool indicates something is off with your water chemistry and while you might be inclined to assume it is nothing serious to be worried about, the reality is that there are a host of potential concerns / problems relating to stagnant water and swimming. The point at which the pool water turns green you can safely know that there is a problem with the water, and it could definitely be serious enough that it is not advisable to swim in green water.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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