Kids and adults will be frolicking in county and other pools this weekend as DeKalb’s public pools open for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the swim season that goes through Sept. 7.

Pools will open daily through Aug. 7, and from Aug. 8 to Sept. 6, select pools will maintain weekend hours only.

This week, the Georgia Department of Community Health highlighted a number of simple steps that swimmers and pool operators can take to ensure a healthy and safe swimming experience for everyone.

Scott Uhlich, director of the Environmental Health Program within the Division of Public Health, said all swimmers should take safety measures and proper precautions to reduce their risks of illness and injury at public swimming pools.

“This is particularly important for parents to acknowledge since children, as well as pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, are most at risk of [recreational water illnesses],” he said.

Recreational water illnesses are caused by germs that are resistant to normal chlorine levels. Swimming pools are equipped with a mechanical system to deliver a disinfectant to kill germs. However, fecal germs are difficult to kill in pools at normal chlorine levels. The best way to prevent recreational water illnesses is to keep germs out of the pool.

The Division of Public Health offers these tips for healthy swimming: 

- Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.

- Avoid swallowing the pool water or even getting it in your mouth.

- Practice good hygiene.

- Take your kids on restroom breaks or check diapers often.

- Change diapers in the restroom or diaper-changing area, not poolside.

- Wash your child thoroughly with soap and water before swimming.

For more safe swimming tips, visit http://health.state.ga.us/programs/envservices

/pools.asp.

For more information on DeKalb’s public swimming pools, including fee schedule, programs and locations, visit www.your

dekalb.com/parks and click on Aquatics or call 678-937-8921.