A consumer survey recently conducted by STA revealed that one in four people have urinated in a public swimming pool, with one in ten confessing they had done it deliberately. Men aged 18-34 years were cited as the worst culprits this time.

In an effort to improve pool standards, STA, the world’s leading swimming teaching and lifesaving organisation, commissioned the online public survey to understand the hygiene habits of pool users; with the main questions covering people’s understanding of pre-swim showers and the rules of using the swimming pool after a stomach upset.

The results revealed:

• A quarter of pool users do not take a pre-swim shower.
• 1 in 5 said they would return to the swimming pool within 48 hours of suffering a stomach upset.
• More than half of respondents said centre managers do not provide sufficient hygiene information at the poolside.

A total of 2,013 people were surveyed online by Opinium for STA’s ‘Rules for Pools’ and ‘Rules for Clean Pools’ public education campaign, and the findings clearly demonstrated how crucial it is for the leisure industry to “connect the dots” on this hygiene issue through education and ‘fit for purpose’ pool plant training.

To support this STA has also produced a ‘Rules for Pools’ and a ‘Rules for Clean Pools’ poster for operators to prominently display in the changing areas and poolside. Email marketing@sta.co.uk to receive the free posters.