The Fourth of July holiday will be a busy time at beaches and public pools. Anoka County Community Health and Environmental Services Department encourages residents to take precautions to keep families healthy and happy in the water.

The best way to prevent recreational water illnesses is to keep germs out of the water and off beaches in the first place. Swimmers can protect themselves and others by following these six tips:

1. Don’t swallow pool or lake water.
2. Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing diapers.
4. Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.
5. Take children on bathroom breaks or change diapers often.
6. Change diapers in a bathroom, not at poolside or beachside.

The most common symptom of recreational water illness is diarrhea, which in some cases can be severe enough to result in hospitalization. Symptoms may not develop until a week or more after swimming. For more information about healthy swimming, visit the Minnesota Department of Health’s Waterborne Illness web page or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Swimming web page.

To report a suspected waterborne illness, call the Minnesota Department of Health’s Foodborne and Waterborne Illness Hotline at 1-877-FOODILL (or 651-201-5655 from the Twin Cities).