Objective  To examine hygienic quality of pool water in public swimming places in Liaoning province and to provide references for improving hygienic monitoring and management of water in public swimming places.

  Methods  We collected all data of monitoring on pool water in swimming places in the province conducted continuously during 2014 – 2018 according to the national standards for sampling and detection and assessed the hygienic indicators of water samples using relevant national standards.

  Results  The yearly number of public swimming places monitored was 207, 249, 287, 306, and 326 for the year from 2014 to 2018 and the annual qualification rate for the hygienic indicators of the swimming pool water samples were 72.95%, 75.50%, 87.80%, 80.72%, and 84.97%, with an average qualification rate of 81.09%; the qualification rates were 93.09% for total bacteria, 97.09% for coliform, 96.22% for urea, 99.85% for turbidity, 89.81% for residual chlorine, and 98.69% for pH value, respectively, and there were no significant regional differences in the qualification rates for all the indicators listed above; the qualification rate of total bacteria was correlated significantly with that of residual chlorine and pH value and the qualification rate of coliforms was significantly correlated with that of urea, turbidity, residual chlorine and pH value. The overall qualification rate for the swimming places in the 14 prefectures ranged between 68.87% and 94.55%.

  Conclusion  In Liaoning province, the qualification rate of hygienic indicators of pool water in public swimming places is high, with correlations between microbial indicators and physical and chemical indicators and the pool water-related health risk is low for swimmers.