Skip to main content

KingCounty.gov is an official government website.

Official government websites use .gov
Website addresses ending in .gov belong to official government organizations in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Only share sensitive information on official, secure websites.
King County Logo

Illnesses from pool use: Guidance for the public

What are recreational water illnesses?

Recreational water illnesses spread through contaminated water in pools and spas from bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Common illnesses are Pseudomonas, Cryptosporidium and Legionella.

People can get sick when they come in direct contact with contaminated water by skin, eye, or ear contact or by swallowing contaminated water. People can also get sick from breathing the mist of contaminated water.

Guidance for the public to prevent recreational water illnesses

  • Don't go to a pool if you're sick!

    It's recommended to not use a public pool when sick and for at least 2 weeks after being sick. Symptoms of concern include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, upper respiratory infections, staphylococcal or pseudomonas skin infections, and conjunctivitis.

  • Protect pools from contamination

    Infants, small children and other incontinent users need to wear tight-fitting, waterproof liners around diapers. Some facilities are now providing such plastic, rubber or vinyl pants at their facility.

  • Take a shower

    Take a shower with soap before entering the pool.

  • Don't drink pool water

    Do not intentionally swallow a lot of pool water as it increases the chance of swallowing disease causing germs.

  • Speak up if something's wrong

    If you see an issue with bodily contaminants in the pool, notify the pool operator immediately. If you think you got sick from a pool, spa, or other regulated recreational water facility (not beaches), submit a complaint at: King County's Public Health Service Request Access . Note that you need to select, "Don't see what you're looking for? Create a new request," then scroll to "Water Rec Facility Complaint" in the "Request Type" box.