Assessment of the Microbiological and Physico-Chemical Quality of the Swimming Pool Waters in Zanzibar Hotels: A Case Study of North Region-Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Swimming pools’ water has been a significant source of microbial infections. Most of swimming pool users are unaware of the dangers of the infections that may be brought by bacteria within the swimming pools. This study aimed to assess the microbiological and physicochemical quality of swimming pool waters in Zanzibar hotels in North A and B Districts of Unguja, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study design was used. Sixteen swimming pool water samples were collected for both microbiological and physicochemical analysis using standard laboratory techniques. Data about awareness and training of swimming pool managers was also collected using interviews. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Version 21). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significant differences (p ≤ 0.05). The study found that 68.5% of pool water’s pH readings were outside the WHO’s recommended range. Also, the study found that 31.25% of pool water’s residual chlorine level readings were outside the WHO’s recommended range. Temperature and turbidity met the WHO acceptable standards. The study also revealed that 50% and 87.5% of the water samples had Total Colony Counts(TCC) levels above the WHO-recommended level of heterotrophic bacterial count (≤200 CFU/mL) before and after the pools were filled, respectively. Furthermore, 75% of water samples had total coliform counts above the recommended limit (MPN≤ 2/100 ml). After the pools were filled and used, there was a slight decrease to 56.3%. E. coli was detected in 12.5 % of water samples, while no Salmonella or Shigella were detected. The study elucidated that some swimming pool waters required proper management. Also, there is a need to strengthen and enforce water quality regulations to ensure the safety and health of swimmers in the swimming pools.