Melbourne pool owners in lockdown at risk of serious health issues as temperatures rise
Warmer weather is on the way this weekend and so is this often unspoken health risk, which is set to impact thousands of housebound Victorian families.
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With temperatures set to rise over the weekend Poolwerx CEO John O’Brien says Melbourne pool owners are putting their health at risk by swimming in pools which have not been properly maintained.
The owner of the world’s largest pool servicing business is calling on the Victorian Government to ease restrictions on pool cleaning and maintenance when they are eased for similar businesses such as garden maintenance on September 23.
“If the government does not allow pools to be treated urgently then there will be another health crisis – the biggest gastroenteritis outbreak in recent Victorian history,” he says.
“With pools continuing to go untreated and turn green, they are becoming breeding grounds for waterborne parasites such as legionella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia that can cause gastroenteritis, ear infections and, in severe cases, death among the very young and elderly.”
Mr O’Brien says the bacterial health risk is also only one side of the issue with the physical and mental health benefits for locked-down families to enjoy recreation in their own backyard pools another key consideration.
“We have the support of local councils who are terrified of the public health risk to domestic, public and commercial pools if forced to go untreated by the government’s refusal.
“The only reason the Andrews’ Government could continue the ban on pool maintenance is the belief that ‘only the rich have pools’, which has been indicated to us as political thinking. Around 155,000 ordinary Victorian families have pools — it’s the great Aussie dream, and warmer spring weather is already upon us.”
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