Online Reporter
The Herald, 30 January 1989
TWENTY-FIVE school swimming pools in Harare and nine municipal swimming pools failed bacteriological tests carried out in November by the City Health Department.
According to information noted by the city council’s health, housing and community services committee early this month, most school pools, both private and Government, produced unsatisfactory results.
Among private schools, seven of the 11 pools tested were unsatisfactory while 18 of the 25 pools tested at Government schools failed. The private school pools which failed the test were: Arundel, Chisipite Girls, St John’s High, St George’s College, Hartmann House I, Hartmann House II and Eaglesvale New.
The private school pools which passed were: Eaglesvale Old, Emerald Hill, St Nicholas and St John’s Preparatory.
The following Government school pools had failed the bacteriological test: Blakiston Small, Avonlea, Marlborough Primary, Marlborough Secondary, Groombridge, Borrowdale Large, Borrowdale Small, Southerton, Waterfalls, Hatfield High, Widdecombe, Queensdale, Cranborne, Oriel Boys, Oriel Girls, Lewisam, Highlands Infant and Highlands Junior.
The following school pools had produced satisfactory results: Blakiston Large, Ellis Robins, Hallingbury, North Park. Lord Malvern, Prospect and Greystone Park. Pools at Haig Park, Alfred Beit and Mabelreign Girls had been out of action at the time of the testing.
The municipal pools which produced unsatisfactory results were: Avondale Large, Avondale Small, Highfield Paddle, Mbare Learners, Mbare Large, Greendale Paddle, Highlands Paddle, Les Brown Large and Les Brown Learners.
After resampling the following pools were still unsatisfactory: Avondale Large, Avondale Paddle, Highlands Large, Greendale Paddle, Highfield Large, Highfield Small, High- field Paddle, Mbare Learners and Mbare Paddle.
The following pools produced satisfactory results: Mufakose Large, Mufakose Learners, Waterfalls, Hatfield Large, Hatfield Paddle, Arcadia Large, Arcadia Paddle, Cranborne Large, Cranborne Paddle, Mt Pleasant Divers, Mt Pleasant large and Mt Pleasant Paddle.
Lessons for today:
Are these kinds of bacteriological swimming pool tests still being done today? Although there is no direct public record of Zimbabwe’s City Health Departments publishing bacteriological swimming pool test results the way they did in the 1980s, pool health inspections are still carried out, but today they are done mainly through, Local authority environmental health inspectors.
Just like in many countries, environmental health officers remain responsible for ensuring that public swimming pools meet safety and hygiene standards. While Zimbabwe specific inspection data is not published online, this is consistent with international pool safety norms, where local authorities enforce hygiene standards.
Modern Zimbabwe has a strong private pool maintenance sector.
