Anonymous wrote:It is lovely. However, if there is someone immune-compromised, I presume you should ask the doctor.

Ocean and lake swimming are big nonos for certain conditions.

Oceans? I thought that the salt water helped kill off the bacteria. Is it because of all the other stuff that we have introduced into it?

Um, yes... Creeks, rivers, lakes, oceans. I thought this was fairly normal.

Anonymous wrote:I've even been swimming in the Potomac. Gasp!

I've been swimming in the Potomac a lot. Anyone who is a whitewater kayaker has swum in the Potomac.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Were there frogs or any other animals in it? Did you put your head underwater?

Good Lord, have you lived an antiseptic life or something?

No, just wondering how clean the water is. Also, one immuno-compromised person in the family.

My son had a feeding tube, not the same as being immuno-compromised, but also puts him a risk for infection, and we were told that for him, with his medical issues, water with chlorine or salt was fine, but fresh water lakes and ponds were to be avoided. I'm not sure how that would apply to man made natural ponds, but it would make me want to do more research if he still had the issues and wanted to swim in one.

He's now outgrown the medical issues, and we've happily gone swimming in lakes, and tubing or white water rafting in rivers. Without medical issues, I wouldn't hesitate to swim or let him swim in a natural pool.

I was drying myself off after a swim in such a pool when a celing fan fell and chopped off part of my nose. The irony?
Drs found meningitis-causing bacteria in it from when I had been swimming in the outdoor pool. That falling fan cost me my nose, but it saved my life.

Stream-fed pool in NC. It was a concrete pool with hard bottom. Lots of crawfish came in via the pipes so you had to watch your toes!

grew up in this area...never swam in anything but a pool.

It is lovely. However, if there is someone immune-compromised, I presume you should ask the doctor.

Ocean and lake swimming are big nonos for certain conditions.

Why Jethro?

Anonymous wrote:There's a cement pond in Beverly Hills at the Clampett's.

OMG. Awesome.

OP, without a filtration system, the water will become stagnant and become a breeding ground for algae, at best.

There's a cement pond in Beverly Hills at the Clampett's.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Barton Spring in Austin, TX. It's concrete but all natural water. I loved it.

This one is not cleaned in the way that natural swimming pools are. It depends on fresh flow of water from a stream. However, it has had to close because of fecal contamination with E. Coli, probably from overflow from sewers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I am talking about swimming ponds that have been built, not naturally occurring.
Thanks pp for the reminder of the microbe that causes meningitis. It is a real problem in the south.

It's not really a "real" problem. Look it up. It's a freak occurrence, kind of like getting decapitated by a ceiling fan.

almost happened to me
no lie

I've even been swimming in the Potomac. Gasp!

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I am talking about swimming ponds that have been built, not naturally occurring.
Thanks pp for the reminder of the microbe that causes meningitis. It is a real problem in the south.

It's not really a "real" problem. Look it up. It's a freak occurrence, kind of like getting decapitated by a ceiling fan.