SAFE SWIMMING; PRIVATE POOLS POSE RISKS, PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISERS SAY.

Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer

Owners of backyard swimming pools have long tried to be diplomatic about the role guests should play in helping to keep the water clean.

Poolside signs often cut to the chase with humor and frankness, but Ventura County health officials say keeping the pools clean is no laughing matter.

The county's Environmental Health Division issued a notice this week that swimming pools dirtied with human waste can spread microorganisms that can cause kidney problems and even death in children.

Elizabeth Huff, manager for community services for the division, said the county regulates 1,400 public pools, but this is the first time it has issued a notice for owners of backyard pools.

``It's hard to regulate people's behavior in private pools, but the same potential for problems is there,'' Huff said. ``A lot of kids come over to use a neighbor's pool during the summer, so we wanted to take this extra step.''

The urgency to caution swimming pool owners stemmed from an incident at a water park in Georgia last summer. A child died after being exposed to disease carried by E. coli bacteria from a baby's diaper.

Huff said Ventura County regularly gets reports of human waste found in public pools. She believes that accidents in private pools are probably just as frequent, although statistics aren't kept.

County environmental health experts suggest pool owners maintain recommended levels of chemicals in the water and avoid using a swimming pool if the filtration system isn't working well.

Jim Reimers, who owns a pool service and supply store in Thousand Oaks, said a common mistake is that homeowners don't filter their pools often enough.

He recommends that newer pools be filtered five to six hours a day and older pools, eight hours. And the chemical balance in pools should be tested at least once a week during the summer, he said.

``And no peeing in the pool,'' said Reimers, who has worked on pools for 25 years.

Children who are not potty trained or anyone who is incontinent should stay out of a swimming pool, Huff said.

Westlake Village resident Jeff Starr has had pools in his yards since 1965. He once did his own pool maintenance with store-bought chemical kits. Now he hires a professional service to monitor chemical levels and to clean his pool once a week during the winter and twice weekly during summer.

And his family members know the pool rules: No running. No swimming without adult supervision. Use the restroom before swimming. Starr even built an extra restroom, with an exterior entrance, near the pool. Wash with a nearby hose before entering the pool.

``My grandkids use the pool a lot, and I use the jacuzzi every day,'' said 58-year-old Starr. ``Everyone knows to go before.''

SAFETY FIRST

Pool owners can help prevent disease transmission by following these precautions:

1) Always keep swimming pool water in a proper chemical balance.

2) Do not use a pool if the filtration system is not in good working order.

3) Children who are not potty trained, or anyone who is incontinent, should not use the pool. Tight-fitting rubber pants or swim diapers provide only limited protection for others.

4) Never allow diaper changing at poolside or babies to be rinsed off in the pool during diaper changing.

5) Anyone sick with diarrhea should not use the swimming pool for at least two weeks after the illness.

6) Before entering a swimming pool, users should shower with warm water and soap.

For more information visit the county's Web page at www.ventura.org/env(underline)hlth/env.htm

(Source Ventura County Environmental Health Division)

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Color) Kids from the Boys & Girls Club and other groups swim and wait to dive Tuesday at the Rancho Simi Community Park public pool.

(2--Color in Conejo Edition only) Children cool off Tuesday in a public swimming pool in Simi Valley. Health officials regularly monitor public pools and say owners should watch private pools, too.

(3--Color) (Ran in Conejo Edition only) Nothing beats cool water to cool off from high-90s temperatures Tuesday. For the first time, health authorities who monitor public swimming pools in Ventura County also are warning owners of backyard pools to watch out for pollution.

(4--Color in Conejo Edition only) YMCA worker Lesley Barnes plays with one of the children in a group she helped watch Tuesday at a park pool in Simi Valley. Pollution prevention is needed in private pools, too, authorities warn.

Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News

BOX: SAFETY FIRST (See text)