Pre-Swim showering

When it comes to swimming pool hygiene the pollution on swimmers is the primary source of pollution.

Fortunately, pre-swim showering can remove most of this pollution, resulting in better pool water and happy swimmers with fewer chemical by-products. To ensure that every bather showers before entering the pool, make sure that the pre-swim showers are functional, warm enough, and conveniently located on the way to the pool.

Additionally, make sure that toilets are clean, pleasant to use, and situated in convenient locations.

You can also control entry to the pool by posting notices at the reception area. For instance, people with diarrhoea should not swim during and for 48 hours after their symptoms. And those with cryptosporidiosis should not swim for 14 days after their diarrhoea has stopped. 

Child and baby hygiene

To further improve swimming pool hygiene, young children should ideally have their own pools. There should be good baby changing facilities, and babies should wear special swimming nappies (but not swim if they have diarrhoea). There should be provision for safe disposal of soiled nappies. Meanwhile, young children’s pools should have separate water treatment and filtration systems, and they should be able to be emptied in case of faecal fouling.

Very young children should use special swimming nappies, which can absorb and retain any soiling. And in case of diarrhoea, babies should avoid using the pool altogether. To make nappy changing convenient, provide nappy-changing facilities in changing areas. These facilities should be regularly cleaned, equipped with sinks for handwashing, and have bins for nappy disposal that are emptied frequently.