Pool Season Reminder: It’s Not A Toilet Or A Bathtub

As both public and private pools get ready for the Summer splashing season, we have new information that’s likely to put a whole new spin on getting splashed in the face or accidentally swallowing water: According to Health Expert Dr. Anessa Alaplatt, public pools contain “one to three ounces of urine for each person that uses them.” She says the same holds true for private pools as well, but public pools contain greater amounts of pee because more people are actually swimming in public pools. Dr. Alaplatt explains that the strong chlorine smell that we often associate with public pools isn’t what we think it is: “The odor that you smell in a public pool is not the chlorine, but it’s the chlorine reacting with all the urine in the pool.” Before you throw up, there is a silver lining here: according to Dr. Alaplatt, properly-applied chlorine kills a large percentage of the germs associated with human urine. So…shower BEFORE you jump in, wear goggles, don’t swallow any water, and shower again AFTER you get out.  You’ll be fine.

John Young