Pool Inspectors Out in Full Force

Pool season is here, and as you and your family hit the water, pool inspectors are hitting the public pools making sure the water you swim in won't make you sick.

Tuesday, June 1st 2010, 2:48 pm

By: News 9


By Adriana Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Pool season is here, and as you and your family hit the water, pool inspectors are hitting the public pools making sure the water you swim in won't make you sick.

County inspectors are doing routine checks at hotels, motels, swim parks and community parks across the state. A recent report shows inspectors in the Oklahoma City-County area closed pools at twice the rate of municipalities in other states.

The main reason for this is the city and state do more tests than are legally required as a proactive measure. The Oklahoma City-County health department employs a team of full time pool inspectors to make sure pools and water parks are meeting health standards.

"We don't do the minimum here, we do more than that," said Phil Maytubby, the Public Health Protection Chief with the Oklahoma City County Health Department.

The city-county department closed one in every four pools. That is more than twice the closure rate reported in a national study of 13 states conducted by the Center for Disease Control.

But Maytubby states many pools that close are reopened as soon as the violation is fixed, often the same day.

"Our number one job here is to protect the public," Maytubby said. "We don't want them to worry about any pool they get into so that's why we are there and our people do a really good job at that."

News of these inspections came as a pleasant surprise to parents and guardians at Memorial Park in northwest Oklahoma City.

"I think it's awesome. I do. I feel a lot safer about bringing the kids out to play," said Kenny Wright.

"I think that's great, anything to keep the kids safe," said Dani Mesikep.

Inspectors check more than 1000 pools in the Oklahoma City County area alone. That makes up a third of all the public pools and water parks across the state. So far they've had no violations, but pools season just started. One simple thing you can do to help is take a shower before you to the pool.

Learn how to test your pool and where to order test kits.

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