Having a swimming pool is a wonderful addition to any home and can not only improve overall property values but give the family a way to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. However. Maintaining a swimming pool is a big responsibility. Things like swimming pool resurfacing and routine cleaning and water treatments are needed to keep everything safe and in good condition.
There are many ways to increase the appeal of the pool and to incorporate it into your outdoor living space. Backyard pool and landscape designs can ensure the area is nice and attractive. There are backyard pool ideas cheap and expensive alike and what works best for you will depend on the pool set up you want, the space you have to work with, your home’s overall look and feel, and what your budget is like.
Simple or complex backyard pool setup designs will need care and maintenance to keep them looking good. So, make sure you find a landscape and pool expert to assist you with these important tasks. They can help ensure your backyard water pool oasis is everything you want and need it to be.
UPDATED 11/25/20
As long as people have access to a place to swim that’s clean enough, swimming can be an extremely healthy activity. A simple pool heater can already make swimming significantly more practical for the people who live in slightly cooler climates, but who are still interested in the advantages to swimming.
The people who are able to swim can all potentially get the advantage of swimming exercise. It may not be a safe activity for people who don’t have especially strong swimming skills, although people can certainly improve their swimming skills at any point during their lives. People also certainly need to work just as hard at making sure that their swimming areas are clean enough and otherwise safe enough for them.
There are people who swim every single day without any issues of any kind, especially health and safety issues. No one should get too comfortable or assume that it’s perfectly safe to swim in almost all types of water. They also should not overestimate their swimming skills, especially if they’ll be swimming in a pool that does not have a lifeguard or anyone nearby who could help them. However, when swimming is done safely, it’s a fantastic health habit.
Unfortunately, not all pools are safe for humans to participate in this healthy habit.
July is the peak of summer swim season, and around the country millions of Americans of all ages are heading to community pools to beat the summer heat. That means health and pool inspectors are working over time, and they don’t always like what they find. Now, cities around the country are coming down hard on pool managers who neglect their water.
Andrew Burns works for the Florida Department of Health and inspects pools in the popular tourist destination of Orange County, Florida, where many pools are open year-round. According to state regulations, pool inspectors like Burns must inspect pools twice a year. So far this year, only 62% of pools received satisfactory ratings, with some pools requiring emergency closures.
“There are certain diseases you can get from pools if they’re not maintained properly,” said Burns. “[The owners] are responsible for making sure they’re keeping up that pool…It’s very important for them to do it, because it does affect public health.”
The most common pool violation is low chlorine levels, which are necessary to stop the spread of harmful bacteria. Equally important are intact drain covers, which prevent body parts from getting trapped in the water suction system. Residential pool owners must clean and maintain their pool regularly as well. In addition to checking chlorine levels, residential pool pumps should be set to turn over the pool once every 24 hours.
And in Memphis, where many residents have been filling up public and private swimming pools since June, pool inspectors only check pool conditions once a year. This July, a local TV news station stepped up to help double check the water levels, with often disappointing results. At one popular local pool they found “dirty water and floating debris.”
Lifeguards and pool managers are supposed to carefully monitor chlorine levels, pH levels, and keep safety equipment up to code. When local health departments find severe violations, they have the authority to shut down pools immediately. Fortunately for swimmers, often times pools simply require a little TLC, and can be reopened within hours. Good references.
