COVID v Chlorine

Swimming pool water inactivates COVID-19 virus in 30 seconds, according to new study…

Key Findings

The presence of chlorine in water, under the right conditions, can inactivate the virus that causes Covid-19 in just 30 seconds.

Findings follow research by virologists at Imperial College London, led by Professor Wendy Barclay.

Baby swimming business Water Babies worked collaboratively with Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) to provide context and materials for the research.

Reassuring news comes as indoor swimming pools reopen across the UK on Monday the 12th

DATE, London – Swimming pool water can inactivate the Covid-19 virus in just 30 seconds under the right conditions, reveals a study by virologists at Imperial College London, which was commissioned by Water Babies and Swim England.

The findings, which have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, suggest the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in swimming pool water is incredibly low, as indoor swimming pools and leisure centres reopen across the UK on 12th April as part of the government’s roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions.

Founder of Water Babies, Paul Thompson said: “We are excited about these findings as we prepare to restart our classes and plan to welcome back families, littles ones and customers to indoor swimming pools across the country. It has been fantastic to work closely with Professor Barclay and her team at Imperial College and collaborate with leading bodies Swim England and RLSS on this world-leading research. We know swimming has multiple benefits for physical and mental health for both children and adults of all ages and we’re looking forward to our lessons restarting.”

The study into swimming pool water was undertaken by leading virologist and expert in respiratory viruses, Professor Wendy Barclay, together with research associate Dr Jonathan Brown and research technician Maya Moshe from Imperial College London and project managed by Alex Blackwell, Head of Pools and Facilities from Water Babies.

The collaborative study looked at the effects of swimming pool water on the virus that causes Covid-19, named SARS-CoV-2, to assess the amount of time and contact needed to inactivate the virus in varying chlorine and pH levels. The research established that 1.5mg per litre of free chlorine with a pH between 7-7.2 reduced the infectivity of the virus by more than 1000 fold within 30 seconds. Additional testing of different free chlorine and pH ranges confirmed that chlorine in swimming pool water was more effective with a lower pH. This is inline with current guidance for swimming pool operation.

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