What Is Recreational Water Illness (RWI)?
A recreational water illness, sometimes call an RWI, is an illness that spreads by swallowing, breathing, or contact with contaminated water from swimming pools, spas, lakes, rivers, or oceans. Recreational water illnesses can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections.
Pools and Parks
The most common illness spread through use of swimming pools is diarrhea. If swimmers are ill with diarrhea, the germs that they carry can contaminate the water if they have an “accident” in the pool. When people are ill with diarrhea, their stool can contain millions of germs. Therefore, swimming when ill with diarrhea can easily contaminate large pools or waterparks.
As a result, if someone swallows water that has been contaminated with feces, he/she may become sick. Many of these diarrhea-causing germs do not have to be swallowed in large amounts to cause illness. To ensure that most germs are killed, chlorine or other disinfectant levels and pH should be checked regularly as part of good pool operation.
Spas and Hot Tubs
Skin problems like hot tub rash are the most common RWIs spread through hot tubs and spas. Chlorine levels evaporate more quickly in pools & spas because of the high water temperature. Hot tubs and spas can also cause respiratory illnesses if not well maintained. Check your hot tub chemisty frequently.
Water Fountains
Some decorative fountains or water art works are not chlorinated or filtered. Therefore, when people, especially babies with diapers, play in the water, they can contaminate the water with poop. Swallowing this contaminated water can then cause diarrheal illness.
Lakes, Rivers, and Oceans
Lakes, rivers, and oceans pose contamination challenges-use extra care. Some sources of germs: sewage, animal waste, water runoff following rainfall, fecal accidents, and germs rinsed off the bottoms of swimmers. Never swallow such water because natural recreational water is obviously not disinfected. Avoid swimming after rainfalls or in areas identified as unsafe by health departments.
No related posts.
