Story Title: Pool Maintenance tips for summer
Episode: Summer Garden Special
Date: January 15th 2010
Presenter: Neville Passmore

On a stinking hot summer’s day there is nothing quite as refreshing as a dip in your pool. To make that dip safe for all the family, check out Neville’s pool maintenance tips to ensure that your pool is healthy and clean all summer long.

Neville’s Tips and Facts

• Some of the nasties that need to be controlled or avoided include bacteria such as cryptosporidium, Giardia and E.coli, as well as amoebic meningitis which can grow easily in untreated pool water.
• Most bacteria are transferred from swimmers, animals and debris such as leaves and bugs.
• An active swimmer will contribute 1 litre of perspiration into your pool per hour.
• From 10 million to 1 billion organisms are introduced to your pool from 1 gram of saliva from the mouth.
• Up to 38,000 micro-organisms are introduced to your pool with the clearing of the nose. Skin sores, boils and infections are a source of highly infectious disease organisms which can contaminate your pool.
• A dog is equivalent to 40 swimmers in bacteria! 
• Keep chlorine levels at recommended levels and be quick to change over tanks when they run out. Remember hot days are the riskiest as far as pool health is concerned.
• A pool blanket allows more of the heat absorbed by the water to be retained. It also can eliminate evaporation which could cost you one and half times the volume of water in the pool in one season.

• From the standpoint of safety, make sure you have everything you need near the pool area, including a phone, so you don’t have to leave your children unattended.
• Fence your pool properly and make sure that there’s no furniture or equipment around the fence that can be climbed onto.
• Make a rule no drinking alcohol in the pool apart from the danger of broken glass which is invisible in water there is an increased risk of drowning.