Swimming in a well maintained swimming pool will reduce your likelihood of developing a recreational water illness (RWI) as many of the germs are killed by chlorine. Although most bacteria, viruses and organisms are killed by the pool water being properly sanitized, there are some that are resistant and take time to die even in a pool with correct chlorine levels. Simply shocking a green pool blue once in a while is not sufficient to ensure healthy water conditions.

Key Recreational Water Illnesses
• Cryptosporidium: Mainly from Diarrhea. Stays active at normal Chlorine Levels for 6-7 days
• E. Coli: Mainly from Fecal accident. Active for 1 min.
• Giadiasis: Mainly from Fecal accident. Active for 45 min.
• Hepatitis A: Mainly from Fecal accident. Active for 16 min.
• Swimmers Ear: Psuedomonas Infection of Outer Ear Canal.
• Legionnaires Disease: Stays Active for 16 min.
• Pseudomonas Dermatitis: Hot Tub Rash: Active less than 1 min

How do you protect yourself and your family?
Most importantly your pool water should be properly maintained, balanced and sanitized. VivoPools will maintain your pool to ensure a healthy pool. Avoid swimming in a pool that has cloudy or off-colored water. It is especially important not to swim in a pool when you cannot see the main bottom drain. In Addition, there are some healthy swimming behaviors which can help to protect you and your kids from RWI's and will help stop germs from getting in the pool in the first place.

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea
• Don't swallow the pool water
• Practice good hygiene
• Take a shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or after changing diapers
• Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often
• Change diapers in a bathroom and not poolside
• Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming

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Swimming in a well maintained swimming pool will reduce your likelihood of developing a recreational water illness (RWI) as many of the germs are killed by chlorine. Although most bacteria, viruses and organisms are killed by the pool water being properly sanitized, there are some that are resistant and take time to die even in a pool with correct chlorine levels. Simply shocking a green pool blue once in a while is not sufficient to ensure healthy water conditions.

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• Low sanitizer or chlorine level
• Filter may not be running long enough
• Water is not properly balanced (pH and Alkalinity)
• Stabilizer level is low causing quick deterioration of chlorine
• Inadequate or poor circulation

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• Water is not properly balanced
• Filter is not running long enough
• Filter is dirty, clean or backwash filter
• Inadequate or poor circulation
• Pump may be sucking air, creating a vacuum leak
• Not enough sanitizer

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• Chloramines have taken over your pool, not enough chlorine
• Water is out of balance, usually pH and or Alkalinity
• What are you dumping into your pool and how much?
• One helpful fix is rinsing your eyes out with milk or water to help absorb the chemicals

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1. Usually a chemical problem, water balance causing heat exchanger to come apart.
2. Excessive copper in pool
3. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of chlorine
4. You are a creative person with a talented hairdresser (Sorry!)

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It's a way to measure the acidity or alkalinity of water. This is the most important part of chemical balance because it protects the equipment, allows the sanitizer to do its best job and increases swimmer enjoyment. The ideal range for your pH balance is 7.4-7.6.

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1. Pump is sucking in air causing cavitation
2. Check skimmer basket
3. Check hair and lint pot (Pump basket)
4. Pump is not getting enough water to prime and run smoothly, this is a circulation issue
5. Pump is too big
6. Piping is too small

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It is recommended that pool filters be cleaned at least two times a pool season - usually around mid-summer and in the fall, or more often if needed. The filter should also be cleaned at the start of spring if it wasn't cleaned as part of the pool closing procedure in the fall.

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