when is it not safe to swim in the pool

[CarlD]

I absolutely would NOT let my kids in pool water that was at all green. This is not a lake that's part of the environment, with water flowing in and out--it's more like stagnant water.

Chlorination does more than kill algae--it kills and neutralizes other stuff. The MOST important thing, to my mind, that chlorine does is sanitize fecal matter. Yeah, poop. Every person who enters your pool leaves an infantisimal amount--or more. Gross but true. Proper chlorination renders that sanitary and inert very quickly. If you have algae, you don't have that sanitation. Need I say more?

[tmmort]

I absolutely would NOT let my kids in pool water that was at all green. This is not a lake that's part of the environment, with water flowing in and out--it's more like stagnant water.

Chlorination does more than kill algae--it kills and neutralizes other stuff. The MOST important thing, to my mind, that chlorine does is sanitize fecal matter. Yeah, poop. Every person who enters your pool leaves an infantisimal amount--or more. Gross but true. Proper chlorination renders that sanitary and inert very quickly. If you have algae, you don't have that sanitation. Need I say more?

Great post! Should be a sticky.