Yes, it’s gross. The idea of urinating in the pool is not something pleasant to talk about. But, we do talk about it. Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps was asked about it (he said he has done it), there a tales we tell children about how the water will turn colors and teens at the community pool will laugh about the kiddie pool.

We know it’s gross, but did you know it’s harmful for both you and your pool?

When Urine and Chlorine Collide

Many people brush off urinating in the water. They say the chlorine is in there to kill whatever bacteria or chemicals we don’t want to come into contact with. The problem is, that’s not true.

Chlorine reacts with urine. Specifically, uric acid reacts with the chlorine to form cyanogen chloride and trichloramine.

How It Causes Problems

For your health, these two chemicals are very dangerous. They can harm your lungs, heart and central nervous system. That’s pretty scary!

The new acid can make the pool look less pretty. Changing the pH can cause cloudy water, which will make your pool less sparkling blue.

On a more serious note, the unbalanced pH can hurt the structure of the pool. You might see cracks, staining or pitting in the surface of your pool. The only way to get this fixed is to have it resurfaced by a pool repair company.

Bottom Line: Stay Safe

If you have small children, it may be impossible for you to ensure there are never any accidents. That doesn’t mean your backyard oasis is doomed, though. You should regularly monitor the pH of your pool for water quality and to prevent costly pool repair. If your pool is properly balanced, you don’t have any fancy-sounding chemicals taking up space.

Regardless, try and encourage everyone to take care of business before taking a dip.