Splash Pads Are Full of Disease-Spreading Fecal Water, CDC Warns Parents in Shocking Report

A new shocking report from the CDC found that children's splash pads are full of disease-spreading fecal water.

Between 1997 and 2022, there were 60 waterborne disease outbreaks in 23 states and Puerto Rico. These outbreaks, fortunately, did not result in any deaths but created 10,611 cases of waterborne illness, 152 hospitalizations and 99 emergency room visits, per the report.

Most cases were caused by Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that is tolerant to chlorine and causes a diarrheal illness.

The goal of the report is to educate public health officials and the aquatics sector on how to prevent outbreaks at splash pads, which are mostly frequented by children younger than five years old, by changing users' behavior, updating the recreational venue code, and improving the venue design, construction, operation and management of the water attraction.

The report offered several suggestions on how to keep children safe, including showering before entering, taking hourly bathroom breaks, not sitting or standing on the jets and not ingesting any of the water.

"Because children typically ingest more recreational water than adults and have been commonly observed to place their open mouths on sprayed or jetted water, children are at increased risk for exposure to pathogens in contaminated splash pad water," the CDC added.