Lead in Pool Water?

Question

Is it safe to swim in a pool that has lead in the water?

Answer 1

Did some fisherman throw his old sinker in the pool?

The only way one would be able to tell if lead was in the water would be with a complete water analysis or if the source of the water to fill the pool was know to be contaminated.

Answer 2

Any modern swimming pool (built in the last 40+ years) would NOT have lead pipes.  Unless the source water has lead (very rare) there is no danger of lead contamination.  If you know for certain that a pool's water contains significant lead you should not swim in it and report the situation to public health authorities.

I was a Swimming Facility Manager for more than 30 years and never once even heard a rumor of lead being a problem in any swimming pool.  My feeling is that this would be an extremely unusual situation.

Information on lead in drinking water can be found here:  http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/

Answer 3

I don't think so!!

Lead is a poisonous substance that used to be in pencils. If ingested it could poison you- so I would advise against swimming in a pool with lead!!

Hope this helps