Pool cleaners in high demand after wildfires contaminate swimming pools in burn zones with toxins
PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Paul Cowell has been in the pool service business for nearly 30 years, but he says he hasn't seen a fire have an impact like the recent wildfires we've had.
He said of his client list, he's already drained 43 pools and has 65 more to go.
"(We) slowly, drain, refill, fix up the best we can, clean everything out and take care of them because there's phosphates in the water," said Cowell, owner of Paul Cowell Pool Service.
He said there are substances like lead and benzines in the pools in the fire burn areas - toxins that pool filters aren't able to help with either because they're clogged with other fire debris or damaged by the fire.
"Especially since the cities weren't letting us shower or drink the water, and the same debris and toxins that fell into the reservoirs and the water places also fell into the pools," Cowell said. "So that water got flushed out, this water recirculates, so the only way I see to do it is drain it to get rid of it."
Not sure if your pool is contaminated? Cowell says one way to check is to turn on your pool light at nighttime and check to see if there's cloudiness in your water. He recommends consulting a pool expert and of course heeding the direction of public health officials.
The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center was closed for more than a week after ash and debris infested the pools.
"There was a lot of dirt, ashes inside the pool and we had to vacuum and clean the pool and clean around the deck too," said Benjamin Sanchez, the pool lifeguard supervisor at the center. "There was just a lot of ash everywhere."
Danielle Hoague, who studies water toxicity and is a UCLA Ph.D. candidate, says the toxins are generally more dangerous when ingested. However, they can cause skin rashes.
"Often when you're swimming, you do ingest some pool water," Hoague said. "It can go into your nose and you can have ingestion through those exposure pathways."
MORE: EPA completes first phase of hazardous waste removal in LA fire zones
