Given how dry things have been in north Georgia, it’s probably no shocker that swimming pools are expected to be closed there this year. Unfortunately, someone’s noticed a problem with that. From the AJC:
A drought-induced ban on opening swimming pools in North Georgia this year could create an unintended public health hazard in your neighbor’s back yard, county health officials say.
The problem: a ban might prompt people to leave their pools unattended, turning them into havens for bacteria, parasites and West Nile Virus-carrying mosquitoes.[...]
Pool owners, meanwhile, could be in a tough spot if the restrictions remain in place. Some could decide to drain their pools. But leaving them exposed to groundwater, weather and debris could damage them, experts said. Besides, rainwater could collect in empty pools, turning them back into mosquito hangouts.
Others could keep water in their pools and treat them with a substance to kill off mosquito larvae. They could also stretch porous covers over them to keep the bugs out. But that could be time-consuming and costly.
Of course, wouldn’t the problem of rainwater collecting in a pool drained for a drought be somewhat welcome?