According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury death among children aged 1–14 years old. In fact, drowning kills more young children aged 1-4 than anything else, with the exception of birth defects.

Locally in 2016, 18 children drowned in Harris County alone. As of June 2017, two drowning fatalities have been recorded in Harris County.

Drowning is 100% preventable. Of drowning victims who survive and are treated in emergency rooms, more than half are hospitalized or transferred for further care. These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in memory problems, learning disabilities, or permanent loss of basic functioning (or permanent vegetative state).

In an effort to keep residents safe in the water, Harris County Public Health reminds residents to be cautious around water, always stay alert and supervise your children at all times!

1. Learn to Swim. Swimmers can prevent drowning by learning swimming skills, like floating.
2. Wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life preservers and life jackets. Make sure they fit. Air-filled or foam toys do not serve as safety devices – they are toys only.
3. Make sure that a rescue ring or pole is available poolside in case of emergency.
4. Use the buddy system: Always swim with a buddy or under the supervision of parents, caregivers or lifeguards.
5. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency phone numbers poolside.
6. Supervise children at all times. When supervising kids near water, avoid distracting activities such as  playing cards, reading or talking on the phone and stay close enough to reach out and touch young children at all times.
7. Install a four‐sided pool fence, at least four feet high, that separates the house and play area from the pool area. Use self‐closing and self‐latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of the reach of children. And keep those latches working!
8. Clear the pool area of toys. After use, immediately remove floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area. These may encourage children to enter the pool area unsupervised and to potentially fall into the pool.
9. Make sure the drain at the bottom of the deep end is visible and that all drain covers are secure and in good repair.
10. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating or water skiing. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children!

More information:

CDC Website: Healthy and Safe Swimming Resources

https://www.poolsafely.gov/

https://www.teamunify.com/team/guhcap/page/home

https://www.cpsc.gov/

https://www.cdc.gov/safechild/drowning/

https://www.poolsafely.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Safety-Barrier-Guidelines-for-Residential-Pools.pdf

We all share the water we swim in. Swimmers should take simple steps to protect themselves, their friends and their family from germs when planning to jump or dive in to a pool, lake, spa or ocean.

Six Signs You Should Look For Before Jumping In

1. Pools need constant attention: monitoring the chemicals is crucial to a healthy pool. If it appears the pool attendant is consistently distracted, the pool’s chlorine level may be compromised and you could come in contact with bad bugs like norovirus, which can cause vomiting and cramps.
2. If the pool water isn’t sparkling and clear, avoid it. Lack of visibility poses a huge threat – no one can see if you went under. 
3. While babies are adorable, pre-potty-trained babies can easily contaminate an entire pool with diaper leakage. 
4. If you see a distinct green-colored film floating on a lake’s surface, there may be algae you can’t see. Don’t take the plunge and don't let your pet jump in either. 
5. If you see a line of foam, seaweed, or other debris pulled in the opposite direction (out into the ocean) there could be a riptide offshore. Even a strong swimmer is no match for those kind of runaway currents. 
6. A crowded pool multiplies the bacteria, germs and viruses that are in the water. Wait and jump in later.

The pool is the last place you should be if you are sick with diarrhea. Most swimming-related outbreaks reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are caused by diarrheal germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus, and E. coli O157:H7. Crypto outbreaks linked to swimming are increasing and are particularly hard to control because the germ is not easily killed by chlorine. 

Just one diarrheal incident in the water can release millions of germs. If someone swallows a mouthful of the water, it can cause diarrhea lasting up to three weeks. That’s why it’s so important not to swim or let your kids swim if sick with diarrhea.  

Top Five Pool/Spa Safety Tips

1. Stay out of the water if you or your child is sick with diarrhea or have an open wound.
2. Don’t drink the water. Tell your children not to drink the water. 
3. Shower before you get in the water. Rinsing off in the shower for just a minute helps get rid of any germs that may be on your body. 
4. Take your children on bathroom breaks every hour.
5. Check diapers and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area (not poolside) to keep germs away from the pool.

For more information about Harris County Public Health’s Swimming Pool and Spa Program, call 713.274.6300.