When a mother asked users of an online parenting forum if anyone peed in the pool on vacation, the responses were generally filled with revulsion.
But some users admitted they did, with one commenting that she does it because she “can’t be fucked up about going out.”
The debate erupted on Mumsnet after user ‘Blondiebeachbabe’ posed the question: ‘Am I unreasonable in thinking that most people urinate in the pool on holiday?’ You?’
Dozens of parents responded with disgust to the question and insisted they would never urinate in a public pool, with some expressing “shock” at the idea.
One mum, ‘sandrapinchedmysandwich’, reacted horrified, stating: ‘No. That’s disgusting. Stop being dirty and lazy. Urgh.’
Mumsnet user ‘Blondiebeachbabe’ posed the question: ‘Am I unreasonable in thinking that most people urinate in the pool on holiday? You?’ This generated a heated debate.
While ‘Floralnomad’ added: “Normal potty-trained adults don’t urinate in swimming pools.”
Furthermore, ‘Tamigotxh’ wrote: ‘No, I don’t pee in pools at home or on vacation. Things like this put me off swimming.
‘I wish people weren’t so disgusting and selfish. Hoping only a small minority will do this. Well, I wish no one would do it, let alone a small minority, but sadly that’s not realistic.’
Another Mumsnet user, ‘CulturalNomad’, added: ‘As disgusting as it is, I’m sure it’s quite common and there isn’t enough chlorine in the world to make it okay to swim in other people’s pee.
“I’ve heard moms at the pool tell their kids to ‘just go’ when the kid says they need to get out and pee.”
Several women said that while they would never urinate in a pool, they did so frequently when swimming in the sea; Although this also caused some disgust, the thread sparked into a furious debate when a woman was the first to admit that she did it. She often pees in the pool.
Some studies have reportedly shown that urea, found in urine and sweat, reacts with chlorine to form disinfection byproducts, which can cause eye irritation.
Controversial poster ‘IWillAdmit’ commented: ‘I do.’ (I’m a) grown woman for what it’s worth.’
This sparked an angry reaction from other mums, with ‘Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain’ asking ‘Why?’ Why would you do this?’
The anonymous pool user replied: ‘Lots of other people do it, why not? (Maybe they’re just kids, but still, if I’m swimming in the kids’ pee, I can swim in my own, too.)
Anyone who says they don’t is lying, surely. Yes, I pee in the pool.
“I can’t be bothered to go out, no one knows and I can.”
Later in the thread, they added: ‘I can’t believe I’m the only one who admitted it. I’m really surprised.
‘To be completely honest, I most likely thought about this thread and laughed while peeing. I know, I know… I’m a horrible person.
The ‘ToxicChristmas’ poster responded to the woman and said: ‘I guess you’re at least honest about being an absolute minger.’
Shortly after, other parents chimed in and admitted that they, too, peed in the pools.
Honest commenter ‘Katbum’ said: ‘Anyone who says he doesn’t is lying, surely. Yes, I pee in the pool.
“That’s what chemicals are for: urinating is no worse than sweat, saliva and snot.”
While ‘shearwater2’ noted: ‘I go to the bathroom when I need to pee, but sometimes swimming/the effect of the water still makes me pee, as does getting in the shower. So yes, in small quantities.
Mumsnet user ‘IWillAdmit’ confessed to urinating in hotel pools, reasoning that ‘lots of other people do it, why not?’
Pragmatic poster ‘OneBadKitty’ joined the debate, saying: ‘The pools are disgustingly dirty anyway, so it probably wouldn’t make much difference.’ Everyone’s vaginal secretions, sweat, saliva, mucus and feces are already floating in the water.’
But to what extent is this true? Are our pools full of urine and does this pose a health risk to those who swim in them?
According to a study by the University of Alberta in Canada, the average public swimming pool contains a whopping 75 liters of urine.
The study, published in 2017, determined how much urine is in swimming pools and hot tubs by testing an artificial sweetener, acesulfame potassium (ACE), which is often used in processed foods such as soda and baked goods.
The sweetener is chemically stable and therefore remains intact after digestion. Measuring the amount present in swimming pools and hot tubs told scientists how much human urine was in each body of water.
The team estimated that the swimmers released more than 32 liters of urine in a 500,000-liter pool, while they urinated almost 90 liters in a million-liter pool, which is about a third the size of an Olympic-size pool.
According to a study by the University of Alberta in Canada, the average public swimming pool contains a whopping 75 liters of urine.
“Our study provides additional evidence that people actually urinate in public pools and hot tubs,” said Lindsay K Jmaiff Blackstock, a graduate student at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, and lead author of the study.
So we know that many more people urinate in swimming pools than Mumsnet admits, but are some authors right that this poses no real risk to swimmers?
Some studies have reportedly shown that urea, found in urine and sweat, reacts with chlorine to form disinfection byproducts (DBP).
These can cause eye irritation and respiratory problems, studies say.
This means that it is always best to remove yourself from the pool when you are on holiday and need to urinate, and not pay attention to Mumsnet users or, indeed, American Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, who admitted at the Olympics in 2012 that urinates. in the pool.
“I think everyone pees in the pool,” he said.