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Pool inspectors out in full force as swimmers head to county pools

Posted at 4:30 AM, Jul 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-02 10:34:20-04

As triple digit temperatures linger in Southern Arizona more and more people are choosing to take a dip in public pools to help them cool off.

With the increased amount of people in pools, pool inspectors and pool staff are making sure they're doing their part by stepping up their efforts to keep pools clean. 

"The bacteria levels will rapidly multiple, so it's important to make sure, especially during the summer your bathing load is going to get really high, you're going to have a lot of people in those pools and it's going to affect your water chemistry. So, it's extremely important that these pools are sanitized and maintained properly," said Mary Steffen-Deaton, an Environmental Health Specialist with the Pima County Department of Public Health. 

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County pools are checked once an hour for every hour that they are open. Pools are checked with a DPD testing kit, which tests the pH, Chlorine, and Bromine levels of the water. 

"Public pools require to be tested for pH and disinfectant level every hour for every hour that they are open. The pH has to be within a certain range from seven to eight for public pools as well as semi public pools," said Steffen-Deaton. 

Steffen-Deaton added that anyone can purchase a DPD Testing Kit in order to test their pools at home or even public pools if they'd like to make sure they are clean before they take a dip.  

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