Friends with kids ranging from 6 to 15 years old will join us for Xmas and I want to arrange water games in a big pond we have near the house.

Does anybody knows of dangers (sickness, poisoning) related to swimming in a pond? Should I get the water tested ? Where ? and is there anything specific that I should be looking for ?

Thanks in advance

JG

Can you spell Typhoid?

Best way to check is for the next 5 mornings take you coffee mug down to the "swimming pool" and substitute your morning coffee for a cup of pool water. Its about how much the kids will drink playing in it. If you don't get sick, chances are they kiddies will be just fine. If you do get sick, change the plans!

ANything specific to look for?

Snakes, leeches, common sense...

[tough love people, tough love]

One can always do a "test" but unless one is looking for specific things, the results can be misleading. Typically, the water quality tests will center around coliform as an indication of the presence of fecal material. However, your concern may be for the presence of parasites, fungi and viruses. Alot of it depends upon where you are located and the proximity to agroicultural and industrial activity. A simpler approach may be to consider the source of the "pond". Is it a living pond, alive with frogs and fish? Are there small mammals and birds thriving in close proximity? On a decision tree, this is an indication of water quality.

Personally, I would stay out of a small pond in Thailand. The likelihood of contaminants especially parasites is too great. Young children are at greater risk of entering the water with small abrasions and of swallowing the water.

(And before the angry people briugade shows up to ridicule your concerns, good on you for thinking about it. It is a responsible position.)

Edited October 15, 201015 yr by geriatrickid

Thai kids will probably be OK, not sure about farangs, not used to the local bugs.

If in doubt, stay the f&&k out.

It doesn't just work on women, you know!

Thanks for the help.

I found some of my answers in the "swimming pool" forum, I guess I should learn to post my questions in the right forum ....

You need to be careful of Leptospirosis. There is a big sign in our village in both english and thai warning people of it. Googled it and it is not nice

third world pond disease.

You need to be careful of Leptospirosis. There is a big sign in our village in both english and thai warning people of it. Googled it and it is not nice

I can't remember all the details of the report, but you are right on. Especially in Issan. They said some crazy percentage of people there have this parasite. Unreal...