Keeping Public Pools, Beaches Clean For Busy Summer Season

SOMERVILLE, MA — With 32 public swimming pools, and an additional 39 coastal or inland waterways, to manage or assist managing across the state, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is responsible for making sure many of the places that residents use to stay cool this summer also stay safe and clean. Frequent water testing, strict adherence to state guidelines and a well-trained staff of pool operators and lifeguards are among the ways the DCR keeps pools and beaches open and ready during the hot summer months.

So what does that look like?

James Esposito, DCR acting aquatics director, said swimming and wading pools are tested a minimum of four times per day for levels of chlorine, pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness.

Among the pools that DCR oversees are Melrose's Lawrence W. Lloyd Memorial Swimming Pool, Somerville's Dilboy Memorial Swimming & Wading Pool, Somerville's Latta Brothers Memorial Swimming Pool & Spray Deck and Waltham's Connors Memorial Swimming Pool. Not to mention beaches and pools across Boston.

"We have the proper amount of staff, an engineering department that helps get our facilities ready each season, and we work with the Mass. Department of Public Health to make sure we are in state compliance at all times," Esposito said. "If any reading is off we shut down immediately until it is back to specifications."

DCR has an outside laboratory test weekly for enterococci and E. coli bacteria at its outdoor facilities. If one of those tests comes back with high levels, Esposito said the waters will be closed for swimming the rest of that day, the next day, with an ensuing test 48 hours later to see if they can be reopened. While the beaches are open for those who want to walk or sit on them, swimming is not advised. Lifeguards trained in CPR and first aid remain on duty at all times during water restrictions.

The Centers for Disease Control caused quite a stir two weeks ago when it reported an uptick in cryptosporidiosis — a parasite-borne illness that can cause bouts of "profuse, watery diarrhea" — being contracted in public swimming areas. The cause of the disease is often people going swimming too soon after being sick and spreading the illness to those who swallow infected water. The CDC report said crypto outbreaks increased annually at an average rate of 13 percent.

Esposito said he does not believe there has been a crypto outbreak at a DCR facility, but added ways to help prevent the chances of one occurring.

“Before going into the water take a cleansing shower that gets all the sweat and oils removed from your body,” he said. “If you have young children, we suggest swim diapers to prevent a fecal incident. If that happens, we have to shut down the pool.”

The CDC report recommends not swimming, or letting kids swim, until two weeks after diarrhea symptoms have subsided, not swallowing water in swimming areas and washing hands with soap and water after coming into contact with animals or animal waste — alcohol-based sanitizers do not work effectively on crypto.