Zach Beebe, 15, jumps to block a shot by Tony Edwards, 12, as the two Lawrence boys shoot baskets at the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Ky. The pool opened Saturday.

Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department began its summer routine this week of testing public pools.

“We make sure the pool’s maintained properly to prevent recreational-born illnesses as much as possible,” said Andrew Stull, one of three health department environmental health specialists.

At least once a month and upon receiving a complaint, environmental specialists test more than 100 publicly accessible pools at 80 locations in the area.

As Stull conducted his second test of the season at Parkway Commons apartments, 3601 Clinton Parkway, he filled a vial with pool water to check the pH and chlorine levels.

“If the pH is too high or low, it could irritate the eyes,” Stull said. “Mainly, we’re looking for chlorine levels which will disinfect.”

Parkway Commons passed its inspection with pH levels between 7.2 and 7.8 and chlorine levels in the pool between .5 and 5.

The tests are vital, authorities say. Giardia and cryptosporidiosis are two illnesses that spread easily through water. In July 2003, Lawrence encountered a major cryptosporidiosis outbreak.

“It was not a good event when it happened,” Kathy Colson, health department nurse, said. “There were a lot of upset people, and rightly so.”

That year, the department reported its first lab-confirmed case of cryptosporidiosis on July 1. Weeks later, after there were 10 new cases, the health department recommended closing area pools. The pools closed for one weekend in August for hyperchlorination.

“Having learned from the last time we dealt with crypto, if we have one confirmed lab case of a person who has been in a pool at the time they were contagious, we will close the pool and hyperchlorinate it,” Colson said.

Both giardia and cryptosporidiosis are fecal-oral illnesses that spread when someone with diarrhea swims and another person ingests the contaminated water.

“If you have a diarrhea stool or your child does, that is the day not to go to a recreational water facility,” Colson said.

Because the giardia germ and cryptosporidium parasite are not killed by typical pool chemicals, the health department asks swimmers to avoid a pool when sick, practice good personal hygiene, wash the entire body before and after using the pool, change young children’s diapers often and away from the pool, and do not swallow pool water.