Summer in the city can be a real ordeal for many people. The thick walls of apartment blocks, concrete squares, and parks heat up to very high temperatures, making us sweat constantly and feel stifling discomfort. For this reason, many people occasionally go to swimming areas or pools, but that’s not always possible. Some, in the spur of the moment, enter city fountains. However, this is a huge mistake. The consequences of such behavior can be serious.
Is It Safe to Bathe in a Fountain? It’s Better Not to Risk It
In summer, it’s increasingly common to see people dipping their feet or fully bathing in city fountains. Often, these are children, for whom playing in the water is great fun and a big relief on hot days. But is it worth risking your health for a few moments of joy? Few people realize the consequences of bathing in such a place. It’s important to note that the water in fountains circulates in a closed loop, meaning it’s not regularly replaced. Whatever falls in stays there for a long time, including external contaminants, trash, and pathogenic microorganisms.
Among the possible microbiological contaminants are viruses (enteroviruses, noroviruses), parasitic protozoa (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), and bacteria from the Legionella genus. If the water is contaminated with this bacterium, simply being near the aerosol source poses a significant health risk, as infection can lead to illness
- said Cyryla Staszewska, spokesperson for the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Poznań, as quoted by epoznan.pl.
What Are the Penalties for Bathing in a Fountain? You Could Receive Three Fines
Health problems are not the only consequences that can result from bathing in a city fountain. Such behavior is a misdemeanor for which you can be fined under three different articles of the Code of Misdemeanors.
Depending on the circumstances, bathing in a fountain can be punished under Article 51 for disturbing public order (100 to 500 PLN), under Article 140 for bathing in the nude (indecent behavior, 50 to 100 PLN), and under Article 55 for bathing in prohibited places (up to 250 PLN)
- informed Piotr Szereda, head of the misdemeanors department of the Municipal Police in Wrocław, in an interview with wroclaw.pl.
