SWIMMING POOLS GET CHECKUPS

It is the middle of summer and it is hot. Many are relieved to jump into the cool, refreshing water of a public pool.

Cape Girardeau County Public Health officials want to make sure that water is safe.

Mike Rockett, environmental public health specialist, said a team is currently inspecting all public pools in the Cape Girardeau area.

"We are out to check the pools for safety and water purity," he said. "We do this once every year."

The county health specialists check 20 to 25 pools, including hotel pools and spas.

Rockett said pools are inspected for several major problems:

-- Look for pool clarity: The bottom of the pool must be visible.

-- Visibility of pool depth markings.

-- Presence of pool ladders.

-- Presence of safety equipment and first-aid kits.

-- Posting of warning and safety signs.

-- General safety appearance of the pool.

-- Check for PH levels and chlorine levels in pool water.

Recommendations and suggestions are made concerning safety measures

Rockett said checking the pool water for PH levels and chlorine is one of the most important parts of the inspection process.

Water samples are sent to the lab to check for staphylococcus bacteria and coliform, an aerobic bacillus that is used as an indicator of contamination in water.

If there is any indication of contamination in a pool Rockett said the pool is notified and shut down until the problems are corrected.

He said pools such as Cape Girardeau's Central Pool check four to five times a day for water purity using their own PH and chlorine checking kits. Hotel pools may also test their water several times a day.

Rockett said the water in most public pools, if properly maintained, will stay clean through water filters and through the process of pumping new water into the pool every six hours.

"To my knowledge," said Rockett, "there were no pool violations in the area last year."