California’s Public Aquatic Venues Experience High Rate of Health and Safety Violations

In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new information about thousands of public pools, hot tubs and aquatic venues that are closed each year due to health and safety violations.

Inspection data was collected and reviewed from California and four other states. Researchers examined the data from 84,187 routine inspections of 48,632 public aquatic venues, including pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds and other places where people swim in treated water. Key findings included:

• Most inspections of public aquatic venues (almost 80%) identified at least one violation.
• One in eight inspections resulted in immediate closure because of serious health and safety violations.
• One in five kiddie/wading pools were closed, the highest proportion of closures among all inspected venues.
• The most common violations reported were related to improper pH (15 percent), safety equipment (13 percent), and disinfectant concentration (12 percent).

For people who visit public pools and other water features, one common complaint often involves issues with stinging eyes, nasal irritation or difficulty breathing after being in the water or simply breathing the air near a pool. Recently, the CDC reported that these symptoms may be an indication of poor water and air quality caused by a build-up of irritants, known as chloramines, in the water and air. Chloramines are formed by the reaction of free chlorine with organic substances. These conditions can be even more extreme at indoor aquatic facilities.

“In addition to exposure issues such as wheezing or aggravating asthma that are associated with chloramines, exposure to these chemical compounds can potentially increase people’s sensitivity to microbial contaminants,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “These microbial contaminants could include everything from bacteria such as Legionella to various types of fungi.”

To ensure the environmental quality at both outdoor and indoor aquatic facilities across California, LA Testing offers a comprehensive range of aquatic and air quality testing services. Chemical and microbial testing can help to protect both the public and workers at these facilities.

To learn more about aquatic and air testing or other environmental, occupational, health and safety issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. 

About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, NVLAP, CDC ELITE, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Garden Grove, San Leandro and San Diego.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail