Algae Safety

[Susan]

If chlorine, ph, etc check out ok, is it safe to swim in a pool with green algae?

[aylad]

The algae in itself is not the danger...the danger is that if the algae is growing in the pool, it's an indicator that the chlorine levels are not being kept high enough to kill other nasties in the water (i.e. bacteria, viruses, etc.) that CAN be a danger.

Not to mention that most pools that are algae-filled are also cloudy, and cloudy water can be a real danger to anybody that gets underwater and is having trouble, and can't been seen by others that could help....

Janet

[CarlD]

algae in ponds and rivers isn't a problem because the water is always changing over. Technically, pool water is stagnant water and you don't want to swim in THAT!

Every person who enters a pool brings all sorts of contaminants with them, including a small amount of fecal matter, as well as other bodily fluids. The diseases that are waterborne are pretty dangerous and disgusting. Chlorine kills them all.

Then there's birds pooping in the water (had that in late May) bugs, dead animals and other organic matter rotting in the water....

But if algae is growing, either you have no chlorine or it's being used up killing the algae..and you have no protection against viral, bacteria and fungal infections.

If you swim in algae-filled pools and haven't gotten ill, you are lucky.

Carl