A clean-water campaign was launched yesterday urging parents to put their young children in special protective pants before they go swimming if they are not toilet-trained.
Plunket, Water Safety New Zealand, some pool facilities, and Huggies Little Swimmers joined forces for the campaign, which aims to give confidence to parents taking children to toddler pools around New Zealand.
Mr Prescott said Dunedin pools had actively promoted waterproof pants for several years, and there was a high level of compliance, although it was always at parents' discretion.
Mr Prescott said "code browns" - the term for when a swimmer defecates in a pool and it must be drained and refilled - occurred at Moana Pool on average every two weeks.
The nappies had had a big effect on the number of code browns, which had been occurring about once a day before the nappies were promoted.
Not only toddlers had the odd slip-up; it was reasonably common for children up to 6, and some adults, he said.
Worn under swimming togs, the waterproof nappies were discreet and could be worn by older children without embarrassment, he said.
- Additional reporting by NZPA
