Bend pools use latest technology to destroy bacteria

There’s always the risk of burning, getting an ear infection or drowning –but the No. 1 health risk of being at the pool is actually No. 2.

“We’re actually seeing an increase in the number of water recreational illnesses,” said U.S. Health Department official Diane Holm.

The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report showing more than half of the 161 pools it tested had E. coli, a potentially life-threatening bacteria found in feces.

And 70 percent of of city pools were found to have the bacteria.

“For that to be the case, there are potential issues in the way the pools are treated,” Bend Parks and Rec Director of Recreation Matt Mercer said Wednesday about the report.

“We can do a lot with water chemistry, with UV treatment that creates a relatively risk-free environment,” Mercer said.

Mercer said in his more than 20 years with Bend Parks and Rec, Juniper Swim and Fitness Center has never had a documented case of recreational water illness.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t occasionally accidents in the pools. But Mercer says it’s all about technology — and being proactive.

The pools maintain chlorine levels slightly higher than mandated by the state, and employees check those levels and pH levels every two hours.

The Juniper pools also have a self-regulating system, releasing chemicals as needed.

But not every bacteria is destroyed by chlorine.

“Cryptosporidium, is again, the one that’s been talked about, that regular chlorine levels can take days and days and days to deactivate,” Mercer said.

That bacteria typically comes from diarrhea — and can be harmful if swallowed in the pool.

That’s why Juniper and Redmond’s Cascade Swim Center also blast their water with intense ultraviolet lights.

“As the pool water circulates through filtration, it goes through the light chamber, where it’s exposed to high-intensity light, where it deactivates in bacterias, including all the difficult ones,” Mercer explained.

He said Juniper’s UV filtration system was the first one in the United States west of the Mississippi.

All of their tools to destroy bacteria are safety precautions to make sure somebody’s accident doesn’t turn deadly.

The CDC report says its findings are evidence of a need for swimmers to be more responsible. It says on average, people carry a small amount of feces on their rear ends.

The agency says people need to wash thoroughly before swimming, always avoid the pool if you have diarrhea, take your children on frequent trips to the bathroom, and make sure babies and toddlers wear sealed pants.

The CDC didn’t test pool water in the study. Instead, they tested pool filters–something it admits usually carry a higher density of contaminants than the actual water.