With COVID-19 still running rampant in the United States, cleanliness is more important than ever—especially in public areas. Many people are carefully avoiding places where crowds tend to gather and staying away from certain activities that present a higher risk of contracting the virus. But is your swimming pool one of those high-risk areas? Is your pool safe from COVID-19? Whether it’s a public or private swimming pool, proper swimming pool care in Alpharetta can make your pool a safer place to swim during the pandemic. Keep reading to learn more.
Can COVID-19 Live in Your Pool?
The good news is that all evidence suggests swimming pools and hot tubs are safe to use at this time. Due to the levels of chlorine and other cleaners present in pool water, there’s not much chance for the virus to survive in your pool water. So, you can’t contract COVID-19 simply by swimming in the same water as an infected person.
Where the Risks Truly Lie
Before you dive in, however, it’s important to understand where and how the novel coronavirus can be transmitted when using a swimming pool. The two biggest risk factors are related to proximity and infected surfaces. Even if the water is clean, if you’re in the water right next to someone who is infected with the virus, you can become infected through particulates in the air, just as you would when standing on dry land.
Secondly, the surfaces surrounding a swimming pool—the decking, handrails, diving boards, etc.—don’t have the same chlorine concentration as the water in the pool. So, these surfaces could be harboring COVID-19 if an infected individual has touched the surfaces.
Keeping Your Pool Safe
Now that you understand where and how COVID-19 is typically transmitted when swimming, here’s what you can do to keep your pool a safe space throughout the pandemic:
1. Practice social distancing, even when in the water. Don’t stand or swim too close to someone who’s not a member of your household. If you manage a public pool, encourage social distancing from all guests. If you have a private pool, it’s probably best to limit your pool’s use to those in your household.
2. Disinfect all surfaces around the pool frequently. This includes ladders and handrails, the edges of the pool deck, chairs and loungers, diving boards, slides, and so on.
3. Maintain proper chemical levels in your pool. Those chemicals are what prevent COVID-19 from being transmitted via water, so make sure that you have the right amount of chlorine and other chemicals in your pool at all times. It will also prevent other germs from spreading through your pool water and prevent the growth of algae.
If you want to ensure that your swimming pool is a safe place to play during the pandemic, contact Sunrise Pool Services, Inc., today. We offer professional swimming pool maintenance in Alpharetta to keep your pool clean and at the proper chemical levels for safe usage throughout the year, so you have one less thing that you have to worry about during these times. Give us a call today to schedule your first service.