Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water

Swimming and other water-related activities are excellent ways to get the physical activity needed for a healthy life, and millions of people enjoy oceans, lakes, rivers, pools, and spas each year. However, it is important to be aware of ways to prevent water-related adverse health events, such as sunburn and other injuries, drowning, and recreational water illnesses (RWIs). CDC's Healthy Swimming program provides information for the public and health professionals (for example, outbreak response toolkits and the Model Aquatic Health Code) on a variety of subjects.

Healthy Swimming

·        Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week (5/23-29/2011) – increase public awareness about RWIs and healthy swimming

·        Video Contest – create a healthy swimming video and be eligible to win $1,000!

·        The Three Es of Healthy Swimming – use education, engineering, and enforcement to combat recreational water illnesses

·        Draft Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) Module – provide comments on the draft MAHC Ventilation Module (comment period closes June 12, 2011)

·        Recreational Water – visit the EHS topic page on recreational water

• Microbial Contamination in Previously Flooded Outdoor Areas – Guidance defines how to assess the public health risks for using outdoor areas after a flood event