COVID-19 which is an infection caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2, (a member of the coronavirus family) is affecting everyone and everything around us. The short answer to the question is it depends, generally speaking it is unlikely. first we need to distinguish between the waters, like tap water, swimming pool water lakes and rivers etc. As usual, if you prefer you can watch this short video instead of reading this article:

Covid-19 in Drinking Water

Whether we drink it or use it to wash our hands, tap water is supposed to be an ally in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, would it present a risk of contamination? A WHO representative and the water authorities assure that it does not.

Water treatment consists of three steps: ozone injection, ultraviolet disinfection and chlorination. Tap water is thus protected from any biological threat, can be consumed with confidence, and is even a weapon in the face of an epidemic.

Specialists say that Covid-19 can be transmitted through human fluids, namely droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing. This raises questions about the possible survival of the coronavirus in water, and therefore its presence in the tap water we drink and use for handwashing. “There is no scientific evidence that validates this fact,” Tariq Yazarevich, an official representative of the World Health Organization (WHO). So there is no need to store water packs at home, tap water is reliable. Information is confirmed by several other organizations.

Existing measures to protect water systems and individual wells are considered sufficient to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 through drinking water. Besides, SARS-CoV-2 has not been detected in drinking water and there is no evidence to date that it can be transmitted through drinking water. However, the risk of infection from other waterborne pathogenic microorganisms is still serous, hence the importance of following all guidelines for source protection, disinfection and regulatory oversight to ensure drinking water quality.

The purpose of this article is to present the current knowledge on the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through drinking water, pools and lakes.

COVID-19 and drinking water distributed by The City systems.

The risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through water is considered low. Indeed, according to the review conducted by Rosa in Science direct, no cases of coronavirus transmission through water have been reported in humans. Moreover, although few studies have so far focused on water, no human coronaviruses have been detected to date in surface water and groundwater. Therefore, there is no evidence of the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through drinking water.

Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses that are typically highly susceptible to the effects of oxidants, like chlorine, commonly used in drinking water treatment plant processes. In an experimental study conducted with wastewater, a coronavirus related to CoV-2-CoRSS showed greater sensitivity to chlorine than E. coli . Thus, it is expected that conventional treatment methods used in water distribution systems, such as chlorination and disinfection, will be able to inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 and drinking water from an individual well?

As noted above, no human coronaviruses have been detected to date in surface and groundwater. A well located at a regulatory distance from potential sources of contamination, such as septic tanks, is not at risk of contamination by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

Individual well owners are encouraged to perform Regular testing of microbiological water quality (Escherichia coli, enterococci) by SipSafer’s Ecoli test kits or a certified laboratory is also recommended.

It is important to remember that when a homeowner suspects fecal infiltration into their well (e.g., from septic tanks, pets, manure, slurry), pathogenic microorganisms and fecal indicator bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli) are likely to be present. In such cases, the person should boil well water for at least one minute at high boiling point before consuming it or use another water source that has been tested for quality.

Does COVID-19 survive in a lake?

Generally speaking, yes, the coronavirus “family” (which includes COVID) survives very good in clean freshwater. A study published in 2009 in the scholarly journal Food and Environmental Virology found that it takes about 10 days for 99.9% of coronaviruses to be eliminated in tap water at 23°C, and more than 100 days when the water is kept at 4°C. Similar work in Water Research in the same year concluded that it takes 10 to 15 days for 99% of coronaviruses to die in lake water.

Now, does this mean that swimming in lakes or public pools will be dangerous? Essentially, no. Because “the virus is so diluted under these conditions that the risks are low,” says an INRS researcher. If you are worried you can test your water with one of our COVID in water test kits.

Like other human coronaviruses, COVID-19 is transmitted very mainly through the droplets that patients expel when they cough, sneeze or otherwise. When a droplet lands on someone’s hand or a solid surface, it stays completely in place with all the viruses it contains. But when it falls into the water, it’s a different story: because the droplet itself is almost entirely water, it will mix with the droplet in the pool or lake, and the viruses it contains will disperse instead of being concentrated in one place. So if a swimmer passes by, the amount of virus he or she is going to swallow is likely to be very low and insufficient to cause illness.

Besides, lakes are frequented by relatively few people, which further reduces the risks. Swimming pools, of course, are more densely populated, but their water is chlorinated and microbes die quickly.

Use your judgements if the lake is too busy or someone is coughing in the water next to you then the chances of illness will be higher. and whenever you feel or suspect to be unsafe just avoid it. Whenever the chlorination is not available the risk of COVID-19 is higher and of course this doesn’t imply that contamination is impossible in chlorinated water and you canalways check these water with our test kits. In short, in public pools, it’s more the proximity of one swimmer to another than the presence of the virus in the pool’s water that may be problematic. 

Swimming pool and Coronavirus: what are the dangers?

Many of you are wondering about coronavirus and your Swimming pool. 

• How does Covid-19 behave in a pool? 
• Can one be contaminated by the coronavirus in the swimming pool? 
• How to ensure a healthy swim for your loved ones? 

Good news: the risks of contamination are minimal… but only if you disinfect your water well!

Viruses and germs in my pool?

It is well known that swimming pools, both public and private, are conducive to the development of bacteria. So nothing to be happy about! That’s why it’s essential to keep your water well disinfected, but without over-dosing your disinfectant!

But what’s true for bacteria is a little less true for viruses. The Covid-19 Coronavirus is a type of virus that has an envelope. However, these types of viruses are too fragile and do not survive long enough in the outside environment to be transmitted in swimming pools. Although the virus does not resist eternally in the water, it can remain in your pool for some time.

Can I get coronavirus from swimming in my pool?

It is important to remember that Covid-19 is a virus that is passed from one subject to another by respiratory droplets, i.e. this coronavirus needs to be transmitted by this means through contact with the droplet, or by expulsion (sneezing, coughing…). Therefore, an infected person has to bathe in your pool for your water to be a risk.

The chance of catching the COVID-19 in your pool remains to be very low, for the explanations mentioned above. However, to minimize the risk of catching the coronavirus while swimming, there is only one solution: keep the water properly disinfected. It doesn’t matter whether you use chlorine, bromine or salt treatment: what matters is to have some continuity in the disinfection of your pool. In case of doubt or irregularity in the treatment of your pool (which is often the case before the season) carry out shock disinfection, and follow up with regular treatments to maintain a good level of disinfection also check out your water with our test kits to know if the water is safe or not.

Thanks for reading this article and we wish you stay safe and healthy!