New guidelines have been introduced to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of the handling of complaints about suspected contamination of public swimming pools by human excrement.

In accordance with the new guidelines, swimmers will be told about follow-up action upon receipt of complaints about the discovery of suspected human excrement.

The pool management will also enhance communication with the staff on site in the investigation process.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department said the arrangement will boost swimmers' confidence in how the department deals with public complaints and avoid any misunderstanding.

Reporting proccedure

Swimmers are urged to notify venue staff promptly if they discover any suspected human excrement in a swimming pool.

After reporting to the supervisor, the venue staff will ask the swimmer for the exact location of where the offending item was spotted and will then proceed to the scene for immediate, thorough inspection.

The supervisor attending the scene will use a loudhailer to inform other swimmers in the affected pool about the complaint received. The swimmers will also be asked as to whether they have seen any suspected offending item.

If it is confirmed that there is human excrement in the pool, the venue staff will follow the existing guidelines to handle the contamination and direct all swimmers in the affected pool to other unaffected pool facilities.

The swimming pool concerned will then be closed temporarily, while the venue staff remove the faeces, using appropriate tools.

Water samples will be collected for testing. The residual chlorine level will be raised to at least 2ppm for an hour or more to help disinfect the pool.

Pool reopening

Meanwhile, the filtration and sterilisation system will complete a cycle so as to thoroughly disinfect and filter all the water in the pool. After that, the pool can be reopened.

If a case was found to be non-substantiated, but some swimmers nearby reported that they had spotted human excrement in the pool, the venue staff would still have to follow the above procedures.

But if no evidence was found and no other swimmers could give further information to confirm the case, the pool in question would remain open.

Via the public announcement system, the management staff of the swimming pool will inform all swimmers within the swimming pool complex the outcome of the investigation upon its completion. The venue staff will have to record the case properly.