On a "Volunteer Basis" the CDC is trying to cultivate Guidelines for Safer & Healthier Public Pools

1. CDC issues guidance to improve health
and safety at public pools
The What, Why
When & How
What : The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has issued
the first national Model Aquatic
Health Code, guidelines that public
pool operators can follow to help
keep swimmers healthy and safe and
that state and local health
departments can use when they
create or update public pool
regulations.
The code provides tips on safe
operation of public aquatic facilities,
including design and construction,
water filtration and disinfection,
safety, ventilation and air quality and
staff training.
Why
Americans make more than 300
million visits to pools each year. The
number of pool-associated
outbreaks—mostly of diarrhea—has
significantly increased during the
past 20 years. In 2009-2010, the last
year for which data were available,
outbreaks involving 57 pools
sickened more than 1,000 people
and sent 40 swimmers to the
hospital. Injuries caused by
improperly used pool chemicals led
to about 5,000 emergency
department visits in 2012 alone. On
average, nearly 4,000 swimmers
drown each year; children younger
than 5 years old are the most
frequent victims.
More than two-thirds of local health
departments inspect public pools each
year. Studies of data from more than
120,000 pool inspections found that 1
in 8 public pools were closed
immediately because of health and
safety issues. The Model Aquatic
Health Code is designed to provide a
blueprint for health departments and
public pool owners and operators to
follow to help decrease illnesses and
injuries and provide a healthy and safe
environment for swimmers.
When
The Model Aquatic Health Code was
published today on CDC’s website at
www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/
pools/mahc/.
How
All swimming pool codes and legislation
are developed at the state or local level,
leading to great variability in standards
and requiring each locality to devote time
and resources to regularly updating pool
codes. A collaboration among CDC, state
and local public health departments, the
aquatics sector, and academic experts,
the MAHC was developed to provide the
most up-to-date guidance on safely
building and operating pools. CDC
developed the MAHC 1st Edition after
work with more than 150 experts and
review of more than 4,400 public
comments.
For more information about recreational
water illnesses and healthy swimming,
go to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming.