skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Parents Urged to Use Test Kits on Public Pools

play audio
Play

Friday, May 20, 2016   

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Healthy and Safe Swimming Week begins Monday, and in a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nationwide testing shows most public swimming areas had at least one violation, and one in eight had to be closed immediately.

Dr. Michael Beach, the agency's associate director for healthy water, said it doesn't mean never to go to a public pool or water park, but it does mean people should be proactive by checking to see if the water's OK. He said one simple way to do that is by buying test strips.

"You're essentially taking a strip and dipping it in the water and reading a color," he said. "Make sure the drain at the bottom of the deep end of the pool is visible. This means the water is clear enough for lifeguards and others to see swimmers underwater who may need help. If you can't see the main drain, the pool shouldn't be open."

The CDC looked at data on tests done on 85,000 public swimming areas with water that has been treated. Beach said human feces accounts for about three quarters of all outbreaks of illness from public pools. The parasite behind it, cryptosporidium, is pretty resistant to chlorine, Beach said, adding that filters and disinfectants aren't enough. He said that means state and local health departments may have to come up with tougher regulations to protect swimmers.

"This will take time and commitment from all parties," he said, "but I think we're moving forward on that as health departments start to think about taking some of this guidance and putting it into their own regulations."

The problem could be worse than reported. Beach said less than 70 percent of U.S. local public health agencies regulate, inspect or license public aquatic facilities.

The report is online at cdc.gov.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021