TRAVERSE CITY -- Swimmers in Grand Traverse County's Civic Center pool were exposed to bacteria for up to five days that likely came from fecal matter.
County officials don't know why the pool twice tested positive for coliform bacteria -- once before Thanksgiving and again on Dec. 4.
They didn't close the pool until Dec. 5, when they "shocked" it with large amounts of chlorine. Subsequent tests for bacteria came up negative.
"This is something that has happened before and it's not a major concern of the health department," said county parks and recreation Director Jason Jones.
County Commissioner Christine Maxbauer, who swims at the pool every day, disagreed.
"Positive (coliform) tests which were ignored ... speaks to a persistent trend of a lack of safety and compliance," Maxbauer wrote to county Administrator Dennis Aloia.
Grand Traverse County Health Department Director Fred Keeslar said he wouldn't knowingly get into a pool that had tested positive for the bacteria, but he wouldn't be "overly concerned."
"Every time I get into a pool I know there could be coliform present, depending on when it was last tested," Keeslar said. "There's always a risk."
Coliform is a harmless, easy-to-test-for bacteria used to indicate the presence of other, harmful bacteria, health department officials said. The most common illness associated with fecal bacteria is diarrhea. Since 1985, the number of diarrhea outbreaks connected with swimming pools is on the increase, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Keeslar said the health department more closely monitored for reports of recreational water illnesses after the initial test result, but didn't feel a need to notify swimmers.
Maxbauer said the pool should have been shocked when the first test results came back, a view echoed by the health department.
But pool safety experts said false positives are not uncommon, so most pools immediately retest for bacteria. The county waited almost four days before doing so.
Results of the first positive test arrived at the pool on Dec. 1, a Monday.
Jones said he didn't see the report until Dec. 2. According to CDC guidelines, the pool's regular chlorine level should have killed all bacteria while it sat idle over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Jones said he assumed the problem was resolved and wasn't concerned when he couldn't get the pool retested until Dec. 4. He then left on vacation.
Jones said pool staff followed proper procedure.
Maxbauer said she was at the pool Dec. 5 and two of three lifeguards intended to continue swim lessons, despite the positive test.
Maxbauer said she immediately called Aloia, who arrived within 15 minutes and closed the pool.
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