Pools & COVID-19

With restrictions in place and Australians urged to stay home and isolate themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many are looking for ways to keep busy at home. Fortunately, pool and spa owners have the luxury of using these facilities, but the question is - are pools safe?

The good news is that no evidence exists which proves Coronavirus can spread to humans through the use of pools and spas. Proper operation, maintenance and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and spas should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.

While there was initial speculation that traditional pools and spas lacked sufficient chlorine to destroy COVID-19 like they did SARS, experts confirmed that COVID-19 is similar to SARS, in that SARS did not survive in a properly sanitised environment. A well-run, clean swimming pool with appropriately treated water using chlorine at internationally accepted levels should provide adequate disinfection to neutralise the COVID-19 virus.

To keep using your pool at home, make sure the sanitation levels are normal (see our water maintenance guide for details) and test more regularly using test strips. If you purchase chemicals in bulk to avoid multiple trips to the store, be cautious when storing chemicals at home. Be wary of fume build-up and avoid putting liquid and dry chlorines in the vicinity of liquid acid, and keep them out of reach of children. For information on handling and storing chemicals, click here.

In any case, if you feel unwell, we recommend steering clear of pools. While the virus cannot live or spread in an adequately sanitised pool or spa, physical contact in and around the pool can still put others at risk from infection.