Retention pond swimming dangers?

Question

Our neighborhood has a retention pond for run off water.
Recently a few children (not ours) from the neighborhood decided to take a dip. Now one of them is sick.
So we can better inform our children, what are the dangers of swimming in such a pond?

Answer 1

We have a retention pond out back too. Retention ponds are meant to be a collection tool for drainage for a certain area. This is the only time water is added to it. Otherwise it slowly sinks. The problem comes from what is draining into these ponds: oil, gas, various chemicals, fertilizers, etc. All of this collects in these ponds. Algae grows easier along with other dangerous parasitic bugs that would love a human host. Unfortunately our run off is much more dangerous than it used to be.

My kids know all this, I told them it all when we first moved in. Also, a no swimming sign should be posted, we have one. Parents need to talk to their children, and know where they are, that's the best we can do.

Answer 2

My daughter got Giardia from swimming in a small fresh water lake, a.k.a. a pond (not a retention pond).

Giardia is caused by animal feces in the water, I believe bird feces.

Giardia is really nasty, the poor kid had the worst case of diarrhea that lasted for days and days. She was put on some oral medication that tasted so bad that she decided that the diarrhea was the better alternative. She refused to take the medicine.

I would think the chances of getting giardia in a retention pond would be higher, there is no flow/current for the water that would cause the pond to clean itself.

Answer 3

With every day pass, our country is getting into more and more trouble. The inflation, unemployment and falling value of dollar are the main concern for our Government but authorities are just sleeping, they don’t want to face the fact. Media is also involve in it, they are force to stop showing the real economic situation to the people. I start getting more concern about my future as well as my family after watching the response of our Government for the people that affected by hurricane Katrina.

According to recent studies made by World Bank, the coming crisis will be far worse than initially predicted. So if you're already preparing for the crisis (or haven't started yet) make sure you watch this video at http://www.familysurvival.tv and discover the 4 BIG issues you'll have to deal with when the crisis hits, and how to solve them fast (before the disaster strikes your town!) without spending $1,000s on overrated items and useless survival books.

Answer 4

The water is pretty much stagnant, meaning that the only water in there is pooled. Pooled water is drain off from a varied bunch of sources, most of which are contaminated with many different pollutants. Stagnant water can cause dyptheria and a host of other ailments, too many to list here.

Please advise the children that are trying to use this as a swimming pool that it is unclean and can do them a great deal of harm. Could cause life threatening disease and is very harmful in many ways. They should not drink this water, nor bathe in it. It is a breeding source for insects and mosquetoes as well. It probably contains waste materiel and feces from animals that have parasites.

Answer 5

Typical urban runoff in a pond like that will have pretty high metals and carcinogens like PAHs...but of most immediate importance will be the bacteria and viruses. Totally variable, but kids always get the water in their mouths....let's try putting them in a lake or even a swimming pool....either one would be a lot safer. Also...what is on the bottom for them to walk on? broken glass? metal? Another avenue for infection. Any lifeguards? Somehow I doubt it.
Worst problems: 1) **drowning**, 2) cuts, scrapes that get infected, 3) disease-causing or infection causing bacteria or viruses in the water.

Answer 6

in case you are able to desire to offer greater information... Did it have legs? Swimming up and down? Did it have fins, and swim like a dolphin? How huge? the size of a great gator? greater advantageous? Smaller? Longer? this could be alot of issues and without some greater information it is not uncomplicated to declare.

Answer 7

Please keep that pond off limits!! There is A LOT of bacteria in the pond, anyone who swims in that pond can risk getting infections.

Answer 8

I would never let my kids swin in those filthy ponds. its not like the 40's. those days everything was clean and eco friendly. Now everything is polluted and nasty. One advice, just go to a clean pool. Safer and no gators!

Answer 9

aside from fertilizers,insecticides, and automotive runoff you also have sewage and organic run off. not to mention parasitic problems with skeeters and then the leachs and hope to hell they don't disturb....the SWAMP THING!