Special Report: Health Inspectors Close Tri-Cities Pools Every Summer

Few things are more refreshing in the summer than a quick dip in the pool, but without the proper chemicals in the water, you could be swimming side by side with disease carrying bacteria.

"I wouldn't want to go in a dirty pool would you?," swimmer Martha Cox said.

"I'm concerned at public pools," swimmer Brian Maddox said. "I'm concerned with all the little kids around there. I really don't want to swim through somebody's pee or get anything in my mouth...that's terrible."

Depending on what makes it into pool water, it could be deadly.

"Bacteria or microorganisms can breed and grow and that could cause illness," Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Health Specialist Terry Goins said. "It could be because someone was swimming with diarrhea, a child had been in the pool with a diaper that leaked after an accident."

Luckily, health inspectors like Goins inspect the region's 212 public pools once a month to make sure your health and safety is never in jeopardy. Goins tested the Wellness Center lap pool in Johnson City earlier this month. Mountain States Health Alliance let us tag along. Goins checked the pool's chlorine level first.

"Chlorine is about 3 parts per million, the ph is 7.6, real good shape," Goins said.

A good sign. With that much chlorine, bacteria like e.Coli can't survive below the surface. Goins also checked the cloudiness of the water.

"The main drains are in the middle and I can see those drains no problem," Goins said.

That means in the event of a drowning, a lifeguard can see the bottom of the pool too. Mountain States passed both tests, the most important ones. If a pool fails either, it is closed on the spot. After checking 30 other items, by the end of this inspection, this pool scored a 96, a common score.

"I will say the pool operators in this area do a good job," Goins said.

However, there are occasional exceptions. Although most pools pass their monthly inspections, a handful are closed every year because of health and safety concerns. After digging through dozens of pool inspection reports, we learned the Tennessee Department of Health closed pools and hot tubs 21 times in Northeast Tennessee last year. Cloudy water, failure to repair critical errors within 10 days, and lack of chlorine were among the reasons why.

The pools included:

Washington County, Tennessee
Buccaneer Ridge Apartment Pool 8/3/07
Fox Fire Apartments Pool 7/17/07
Fox Motel Pool 7/19/07
Hickory Lake Pool 6/5/07
Holiday Inn Pool 8/3/07

Carter County
Americourt Motel Pool 6/26/07

Sullivan County
Comfort Inn Pool, Kingsport 7/24/07
Days Inn Pool, Kingsport, 8/30/07
Days Inn Pool, (West State Street, Bristol) 6/21/07
Days Inn Pool, (Volunteer Parkway, Bristol) 8/6/07
Gold Star Fitness Hot Tub 1/3/07, 4/12/07
Gold Star Fitness Pool, 4/12/07
Raceday Center Hot Tub Phase 1, 7/24/07
Raceday Pool Phase 1, 7/24/07, 9/18/07
Regency Inn Pool, 6/18/07
Sullivan East Pool, 8/30/07
Bristol YMCA Female Whirlpool, 11/28/07
Bristol YMCA Men's Whirlpool, 11/7/07

Hawkins County
The Landing On Silverlake 7/3/07

All of these pools have since reopened, most within a day.

But the health department will likely close more during the next three months.

"More pools are closed in the summer, outdoor pools, because of the sun," Goins said. "It discipates the chlorine more and we do see pools without chlorine from time to time."

Still, inspectors say pool closures are fairly rare. After all, only about one out of every 10 are shut down in a year, not a huge problem as long as inspectors catch the error before swimmers do.

Here are some tips from the Tennessee Department of Health to avoid getting sick while swimming this summer:

Stay away from pools and do not swim when you have diarrhea
Avoid swallowing pool water or getting pool water in your mouth
Adults and children should shower before swimming
Ensure children take frequent bathroom breaks
Change children’s diapers frequently and in a bathroom, not at poolside
Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers

Tricities.com has made it easier for you to search pool inspection records, as well as inspection records for restaurants and other establishments regulated in northeast Tennessee. Visit the Data Central database by clicking the related link on the middle left of this page.