Swimming Time Means Inspection Time For Health Department

From the Will County Health Department:

JOLIET, IL — With Memorial Day Weekend marking the beginning of summer in the eyes of many, it also marks the beginning of “swimming time” for those who have patiently waited.

For the Will County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division, that means inspections for 12 beach facilities and 132 pool facilities throughout Will County. Those pool facilities include everything from pools, plunge pools, wading pools, and spas at public facilities, schools, and hotels.

County Environmental Health Director Tom Casey says that while the State of Illinois requires inspections once a year, his team tries to have staff and interns inspecting each facility every other week. He says what inspectors look for at beach facilities and pool facilities are two different entities.

“For beaches,” Casey said, “we want the ‘fecal coliform count’ to be under 500 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. We also want the E-coli count to be under 235 colonies per 100 milliliters.”

Casey was quick to point out that these counts can change quickly.

“Runoff from a hard rain can be a major factor, especially when it comes to something like how many geese have been handing around the beach," he said. "That’s why we encourage the beaches to get out there several times a day and clean up after the geese.”

Will County Environmental Sanitarian Delana Givens says that if the fecal coliform or E-coli counts are too high, the facility will be closed until the Health Department can collect another sample, take it to their lab, and see if the levels have gone down. The levels can either be allowed to subside on their own, or the operator can chlorinate the swimming area.

“We are not out there to be sticklers trying to ruin fun or anything,” Givens explained. “This is done for the safety of the beach users, as well as for the safety of the entire community.”

When it comes to pools, the main priority for the Health Department inspector is how the water is being treated and how frequently it is being passed through the filtration system. For example, all of the water in a swimming pool must be turned over every six hours. The requirement is every eight hours for a plunge pool, and every two hours for items such as wading pools or lazy rivers (where guests can float along on a raft).

Givens says keeping fresh water coming in is very important.

“We are not in a bathtub here," she said. "You don’t want stagnant water. Your pump, filtration, and disinfection all have to be working properly, and most facilities handle these very well.”

Casey says the level of the disinfectant treating the water is also a major key.

“We want the concentration level of chlorine to be between one and four parts per million,” Casey explained. “If you get into a level greater than five it becomes dangerous to the patrons and you can have eyes burning and problems like that.”

Another important factor in pool facilities is the pH level of the water, which allows the chlorine and bromine to work at its best. The ideal level is 7.2 to 7.6. Givens says any levels below 6.8 or above 8.0 will cause closure of the facility.

“You can raise the level by using soda ash or caustic soda, or lower it by using sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid,” Givens explained. “Everything needs to work together for a clean and safe pool. For example, outside the pool you want to be able to see the drain. You don’t want it to look cloudy.”

As for getting these inspections done, Givens says it can “seem like a lot initially. But our sanitarians and interns learn by following the formulas. It all comes together.”

And while the Health Department’s Environmental Division plans to be out and about every other week for this year’s swimming season, there is also some work they need to do to prepare for next year.

“In July, we take care of the ‘licensure inspection’ for the Illinois Department of Public Health,” Casey explained. “This is where we make sure that all facility requirements are being met, so that the beaches and pool facilities can be licensed for the next swimming season."

Will County Health Department Environmental Intern Anne Green Takes a Water Sample at an area beach | image via Will County Health Department