Think Healthy. Swim Healthy. Be Healthy!

Recreational Water Illness and Injury Awareness Week (May 20–26) is a time to raise awareness about healthy and safe swimming. Every year, thousands of Americans get sick with recreational water illnesses (RWIs), which are caused by germs found in places where we swim. Poor swimmer hygiene leads to the contamination of recreational water and threatens swimmer health.

 

Here are simple and effective steps swimmers can take to practice good hygiene:

• Keep the poop and pee out of the water.
• Check the chlorine and pH levels before getting into pools.
• Don’t swallow the water you swim in.
• Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30–60 minutes.

 

For additional information: 

• Pool safety: http://www.poolsafely.gov/
• Ocean, lake, and river safety: http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/
• To reduce the risk of drowning: http://www.cdc.gov/features/drowningprevention/index.html