What's in your water? Recreational water illnesses are on the rise. Here's a primer on the best ways to combat them.(Tech Talk)

A recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has revealed an alarming rise in recreational water illnesses, which can be attributed to poor pool water sanitization and maintenance practices.

The CDC study primarily involved public and commercial pools. Water chemistry violations, such as free chlorine and pH levels, comprised 38.7 percent of the total violations. Even more disturbing, more than 8 percent of inspections "resulted in immediate closure of the pool pending corrections of serious violation items (e.g., lack of sufficient disinfectant)."

Now as we head into the busy summer months, here are some recommendations on how to avoid those problems.

This may seem like common sense, but with the growing number of alternative products on the market, there is understandable confusion over just what qualifies as a sanitizer.

All pool sanitizers must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, which defines sanitizers as products used to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, disease-bearing microorganisms to levels considered safe by public health codes.

EPA registration ensures that sanitizers will perform according to their label claims and that any adverse effects have been assessed and deemed acceptable by the EPA. All registered products should have both an EPA registration number and an EPA establishment number on the label. Product labels cannot make disinfectant claims without an EPA registration. Though local health codes will vary regarding the operation of recreational water facilities, federal laws cover the use of EPA-registered disinfectants.

The recommended sanitizer level will vary depending on the sanitizer used. For chlorine-treated pools, the ideal range is 2- to 4 ppm of available chlorine. Bromine levels should be kept slightly higher at 4- to 6 ppm, and PHMB levels should be 30- to 50 ppm.