Summer Safety: Is your pool ready for Memorial Day?

JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s time to put on the sunscreen, blow up the floaties and jump in the pool!

The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department is making sure public pools are ready to go.

“We’ll be looking for things like depth markers, safety equipment, communications, we’ll be looking for life-saving equipment such as lifelines,” Regional Environmental Health Program Director Candy Overstreet said.

When it comes to the chemicals in your pool, storing them correctly is just as important as using them.

“You want to store them in a cool, dry area so they don’t get wet,” Tina Maness, owner of A1 Pools in Henderson, said. “You want to wear goggles and gloves when handling it, and read instructions real careful.”

Experts at A1 Pools say using those chemicals in your pool not only keeps it safe but keeps you healthy.

“It kills bacteria is the most important, because if you don’t have any levels in there, you can get UTIs. It can make you sick,” Maness said.

The health department says there are some things you can do to keep you and your kids safe.

“If you go to your pool and look down and you can’t see that drain, the water is murky, it’s probably not a good idea to get in,” Overstreet said. “If it’s really wet, if it [the ground] looks shiny and glassy to them, you may want to tell them just to walk so they don’t fall.”

If you’re using a public pool, officials say to check for the permit, which will have a lot of information.

To wrap up our summer series, WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reporter Josh Robinson will speak Friday with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency about boating safety.