This Just In: It’s Bad to Pee in the Pool (Still)
There are certain concepts in life that take a little getting used to and may require a few reminders along the way before we finally figure out what we're supposed to do.
This is not one of those instances. Or at least it shouldn't be.
But here we are in 2021 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is having to take time away from navigating us out of a worldwide pandemic to once again tell us something we should have learned the very first time we donned a pair of swim trunks.
It's bad to pee in a swimming pool.
Apparently, there are still people out there that believe that the chlorine that is added to pool water will magically zap all of the bacteria found in urine (contrary to popular belief, it's not sterile) and won't require us to interrupt our fun in the sun for one of those inconvenient bathroom breaks outside of the pool.
But because the chemical breakdown of pee will alter the pH level of any water it's introduced into, that requires the chlorine to work overtime, making it less effective against all of the other germ-causing germs, bacteria, and viruses lurking just below the surface.
In fact, the CDC reminds us that the average swimmer carries with them a number of things when they enter a swimming pool. Far more than just a floatie:
- 10 million microbes of hair
- 8 million microbes in a single drop of spit
- 5 million microbes on their hands
- 140 billion microbes of poop
- Billions of microbes on the nose, mouth, and skin
- 1 or 2 soda cans worth of sweat
- 1 cup of pee
After reviewing that list, I may just stick to my bathtub from now on.