District 207 looking into complaints about Maine South pool

Officials are investigating reports that contamination of the pool area at Maine South High School in Park Ridge is causing breathing problems for members of the boys swimming team.

Maine Township High School District 207 spokesman David Beery said Tuesday that swimmers approached their coach and Maine South administrators in late January saying they were having respiratory issues after practice.

"Some of the guys say there have been issues for several years, and that may have been the case, but that was not reported," Beery said.

Rob Reinhard, a member of the team, addressed the District 207 school board about the issue Feb. 1.

"People are having trouble breathing and we know this is an issue that's been going on for around two decades," he said.

Reinhard told board members he first experienced breathing issues last year for a week or two.

"But this year it's been pretty much consistent through the entire season," he added.

Testing samples from the pool's water have come back normal, dating back months ago, Beery said. But after hearing the team's concerns, the district brought in the consulting firm TEM Environmental to conduct tests for airborne chloramines.

Chloramines can be the result of pool chemistry, pool use patterns, the amount of fresh air in the pool environment or the presence of compounds like sweat or urine that contain nitrogen. The presences of chloramines can cause breathing problems for swimmers and spectators.

TEM took 25 air samples between Jan. 25 and Jan. 27 at various locations in the pool area, Beery said. Three samples showed chloramine levels slightly over the target level set by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control. According to TEM's report, those three samples collected during evening hours.

Though respiratory issues are a symptom of high levels of chloramine, Beery said it remains unclear whether chloramine is to blame for the swimmers' breathing problems.

"I don't think anyone could say this is a cause and effect right now," he said.

In his address to the school board last week, Reinhard suggested better ventilation in the pool area could keep this from becoming an issue in the future. The pool area was built in 1964, and has low ceilings, he said.

Beery said officials are working with a design firm to come up with a new exhaust system that would increase the pool's air quality.

District 207 also is investing in new signs that remind pool users to shower and practice good hygiene before using the pool, he said. This helps keep substances like sweat. body lotion and hair products from contaminating the water.

New water filtering strategies ranging from UV filters to organic filters such as peat moss are also being considered by the district, Beery said.

The district has not received reports of breathing troubles from students who use the pool for physical education classes or YMCA swimmers who also use the pool, Beery said. The girls swim team, whose season ended in the fall, did not report any issues, he added.

In the meantime, practices for the boys swim team have been moved to Maine East and Maine West high schools.