The objective of this project was to assess the quality of water in swimming pools and determine if the water was safe for swimming. The area of study and survey is Nairobi. A total of 15 water samples were collected from 5 swimming pools in Nairobi within a span of one month. The samples were then taken to the laboratory for testing and analysis. The values obtained were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards and the Kenya Guidelines for Aquatic Facilities standards.
All the samples tested negative for E coli as per the Kenya guidelines for aquatic facilities. Most of the physical parameters were found to be unsatisfactory. The following are the ranges of the physical parameters as obtained from the tests: Calcium hardness 64 - 340.67 mg/l which is compared to 180 – 220 in the standards; Turbidity 0.44 –3.63 NTU as compared to 0.5 – 1 NTU in the guideline; Total alkalinity 26.33 – 74 mg/l as compared to 80 – 120 mg/l in the guideline; Total dissolved solids 35 – 157.67 mg/l as compared to 200 – 800 mg/l in the guideline, pH 6.7 – 7.19 as compared to 7.2- 7.8 and colour 15 degree Hazen as compared to 15 degree Hazen in the guideline.
This research concluded that all the swimming pools sampled did not have E. Coli as per the standards. The physical parameters on the other hand did not comply with the Kenya Guideline For Aquatic Facilities and the WHO standards.
It is recommended that the country develops an effective surveillance program to better monitor public and private swimming pools for strict compliance with the physical parameters as set by the Kenya Guideline for a better experience in swimming without encountering discomforts after the activity.