From the Deep End · ATU Blog

Guest Post: Renting a Therapy Pool

Before you rent pool time, see what the CDC found in more than 121,000 routine pool inspections, including how therapy pools compared.

By Ben Doff3 min read

  • Pools
  • Drowning Prevention
  • Pediatrics
  • Safety
First published February 26, 2024 on atuseminars.com Guest editorial. © 2019 Ben Doff. Submitted by the author for publication by ATU Educational Services, LLC.

Renting time at someone else's pool can feel like a simple fix. Ben Doff's guest post, first shared on the ATU Hub in 2019, uses CDC inspection data to show why you should look closely first.

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A woman stands in a backyard pool with her arms raised overhead.
Not every public-access pool passes inspection, so check before you sign a lease.

We're reposting thoughts by Ben Doff posted to our ATU Hub all the way back in 2019. We couldn't let this advice be forgotten!

OK, so you’ve decided to take the plunge and rent or lease space at someone else’s pool. You think to yourself… how bad can it be. Surely, everyone takes good care of their public access pools. We’re not animals! Well….

To assess this assumption, the CDC analyzed data from 121,020 routine pool inspections in 15 state and local agencies. Here’s a quick hits of results:

  • 12.1% of inspections resulted in immediate closure because of serious violations (e.g., lack of disinfectant in the water). Another 10.7% of inspections identified disinfectant level violations.

  • Therapy pool inspections had the lowest percentage of disinfectant and pH level violations but the highest percentage of other water chemistry violations (43.9%).

  • Child-care pool inspections had the highest percentage of immediate closures (17.2%), followed by hotel/motel and apartment/condominium pool inspections (15.3% and 12.4% respectively)

  • Apartment/condominium and hotel/motel pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (13.1% and 12.8%, respectively).

  • Child-care and apartment/condominium pool inspections had the highest percentage of pH level violations (11.8% and 10.0%, respectively).

  • Approximately 35% of inspections of apartment/condominium pools, hotel/motel pools, and water parks identified circulation and filtration violations.

  • Kiddie/wading pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (13.5%), followed by interactive fountain inspections (12.6%).

Source: CDC, MMWR, May 21, 2010.1 Read the report.

What the newer data show

  • The picture did not improve much. In 2013 inspection data from 16 health agencies in five states, 12.3% of routine inspections still ended in immediate closure, and 11.9% found disinfectant violations.2
  • Hotels top the outbreak list. Of 493 outbreaks linked to treated recreational water in 2000 to 2014, hotels were the leading setting, with 157 (32%).3

Frequently asked questions

How do therapy pools fare in CDC pool inspections?

They had the lowest rates of disinfectant and pH violations but the highest rate of other water chemistry violations, at 43.9% (CDC, 2010).

How did the CDC study pool water safety?

By analyzing 121,020 routine inspections from 15 state and local agencies (CDC, 2010).

References

Source cited in this post

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Violations identified from routine swimming pool inspections--selected states and counties, United States, 2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59(19):582-7. PubMed: 20489681.

Newer data

  1. Hlavsa MC, Gerth TR, Collier SA, et al. Immediate Closures and Violations Identified During Routine Inspections of Public Aquatic Facilities - Network for Aquatic Facility Inspection Surveillance, Five States, 2013. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2016;65(5):1-26. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6505a1. PubMed: 27199095.
  2. Hlavsa MC, Cikesh BL, Roberts VA, et al. Outbreaks Associated with Treated Recreational Water - United States, 2000-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67(19):547-551. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6719a3. PubMed: 29771872.

How to cite this article

First published February 26, 2024 on atuseminars.com · Last updated October 19, 2026 · Permanent URL: https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/guest-post-renting-a-therapy-pool

How to cite

Doff, B. (2024, February 26). Guest Post: Renting a Therapy Pool. From the Deep End. https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/guest-post-renting-a-therapy-pool

Permissions: You may quote and cite this article with attribution. Reproducing or adapting the full article requires written permission from the author, Ben Doff. To request permission, write to info@swimatu.com and we will pass your request along.

Copyright: © 2019 Ben Doff. Submitted by the author for publication by ATU Educational Services, LLC.

For education only; not a substitute for individual clinical judgment.