To pee, or not to pee? That is the question
BY MATTHEW SCHWERHA For Sun-Times Media
Is peeing in the pool as common as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte make it seem? | The Associated Press
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte admitted to peeing in the pool, and now Michael Phelps appears to be his partner in crime in more than just Olympic relay races.
Are Lochte and Phelps in the majority when it comes to peeing in the pool, or are they a part of the minority like all of us would like to think?
Not to worry, even if you are surrounded by people who pee in the pool while taking a dip, you most likely are not in harm’s way.
“As long as there is proper chlorine in the pool, it is taken care of immediately,” said Craig Steinheimer, manager of the swimming pool program for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
And if chlorine levels are off, chances are the pool will be closed.
“We haven’t had any issue with the chlorine,” said Jerica Hughes, manager of the Chicago area for Jeff Ellis Management, a firm contracted by the Fox Valley Park District to monitor its aquatics. “If the chlorine is not up to standard then the pool is not open.”
More concerning substances that could be in a public pool are fecal matter and vomit.
“If there is a fecal accident they have to close the pool and perform chlorination,” Steinheimer said referring to a process that requires the pool to be completely emptied. “Same thing with vomit.”
Despite sufficient measures to neutralize unsavory substances in pools, some swimmers just can’t get past the gross factor.
“It’s the fact that it’s someone’s bodily fluids,” Hughes said. “I think that freaks out some people.”
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