Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-08-16 | Page 11 | Utah Board of Health Plans Investigations into Swimming Pool Conditions within State

I UTAH BOARD OF HEALTH PLANS INVESTIGATIONS INTO SWIMMING POOL CONDITIONS WITHIN STATE ST A IE Bacteria Tests Reveal Four of Eight Salt Lake V Vicinity Natatoriums Unsatisfactory as Judged by Official Standards An investigation of the health standards of swimming pools throughout Utah will be launched shortly by the state board of health Dr William M. M McKay acting state health commissioner announced Wednesday Tests have shown four out of eight pools in the Salt Lake City vicinity to be unsatisfactory as judged by board of health standards standards standards stand stand- ards he Ie said Dr McKay who refused to name the pools indic indicated ted no action would be taken at this time but that Dr Joseph R. R Morrell president of the state board of health now in Ogden probably would calla meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing some time this week Dr McKay explained there was no danger in the present condition of pf the pools and to order them closed might do more harm than good probably by driving bathers to unsupervised swimming places where possibility of disease is great Supervises Pools Lynn W. W Thatcher director of the division of sanitary engineering engineer engineer- ing said however We are continuing continuing con con- supervision of all pools There are no plans to close any substandard pools this year but the board of health will set a deadline deadline deadline dead dead- line after which substandard po pools ls will not be allowed to operate Mr Thatcher said He blamed inadequate inadequate inadequate quate equipment and poor poor- construction construction construction con con- for high b bacteria count countin in most instances Asked for the names of the pools that are substandard Mr Thatcher said I feel In view of the fact that the board is holding up our action we should talk to Dr McKay about it Dr McKay said a bacteria count does not always indicate whether hether a pool is dangerous adding This makes it difficult to administer administer administer ad ad- minister pools th through ough h hard rd and I fast rules The public is in no Immediate danger If we felt that there was any danger we would hot hesitate to close any pools Board of health rules designate any pool with a bacteria count of more than 1000 unsatisfactory but many pools showed a count of which is the highest count that can be taken even where the bacteria are more numerous The pool operators send in samples samples samples sam sam- ples of water to the board of health and the board sometimes I takes take's its own samples Facilities Unavailable Dr J. J L L. Jones state health commissioner commissioner commissioner com com- missioner who is on leave of ab- ab sense to conduct an industrial survey survey survey sur sur- vey said We have been intending to enforce enforce enforce en en- force s sanitary regulations for swimming pools but we have not noth h had d the facilities to do so properly We know if we closed the pools ve would create a much w worse wore r e situation He pointed out that samples are not always reliable as when left in warm places before belore the test is made the bacteria multiply rap rap- idly He admitted there was danger of typhoid from pools not closely checked but said Nevertheless in all my experience experience experience ence on the board of health there never has been a ase case se of typhoid traced directly to a swimming pool Ponder Merits of off Murderers Murderer's Case 4 Y a 5 y a at t t p g f S W eH F dw dk v i iq q a f I y t a 1 PARTICIPANTS IN HEARING ON GEORGE HAYES HAYES' MERCY PLEA Left to right G. G S. S Richardson David W. W Moffat Brigham E E. E Roberts Governor Henry H. H Blood M M. Earl Marshall