by Heather Colley

Created on: July 10, 2009   Last Updated: July 11, 2009

The sun is beaming down, but the water is cool. You have some free time on your hands, so you jump in the lake just to cool off. The water is so clear and feels good on your hot skin. The scratches on your legs from the brier patch feel much better with the sweat and dirt washed away. As you sink under the water, you open your mouth to allow the water to cool it. So what is wrong with this picture?

Freshwater lakes and ponds are considered a great place for recreation and relaxation, but if you were to take a water sample, you may find an alarming amount of bacteria in the water. Animal feces can contaminate the water and make it unsafe. Humans can have a fecal or urinal accident and transmit any number of diseases into the water. If you have a swimming pool in your yard, then you know to add chlorine and chemicals to clean the water of any bacteria. These chemicals are not added to freshwater ponds and lakes, so the bacteria levels goes up. Opportunistic infections can easily be transferred to an unsuspecting victim through openings in the skin or through the oral and nasal cavities.

Does this mean that no freshwater pond or lake is safe? Not necessarily. Any problem can be corrected with a combination of solutions. The most common are filtration and disinfection. After treatment, the water would need to be distributed evenly with the use of hydraulics or water current. Additional water would need to be added frequently to dilute the levels of bacteria, usually accomplished with entering streams and rainfall. Removal of contaminants would be accomplished by streams carrying water away from the pond or lake. Mother Nature appears to have most of these issues under control. Testing the water quality will let you know if the bacterial levels are low enough to allow safe swimming.

So enjoy taking a quick dip to cool off, but take some reasonable precautions. Avoid swallowing the water. Stay away from the water if you are suffering from diarrhea or are experiencing fecal accidents. Have babies wear diapers to contain their feces. Use caution if you have any open wounds or infections of the skin. Monitor the condition of any open areas on the skin to watch for any developing infections. These would be characterized by redness of the area, pus in the wound, fever, or headache. Seek medical attention if the infection worsens. Stay out of the water if the area is experiencing a drought, as the bacterial levels will be higher.

Remembering to take these precautions, and you will have a fun and safe summer.

Reference:

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water_health/health 1/1-public-health-hazards-public-swimming-pools.htm

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