No matter where you are within the agricultural supply chain, it’s critically important to understand the different variables that go into growing crops safely. When it comes to the safety of your irrigation water, here’s a question you should ask yourself daily:  Are you adequately treating the water you are pulling from ponds and wells to irrigate your crops to help prevent the spread of waterborne pathogens? 

According to a USDA study, up to 25 percent of all chickens sold in America contain Salmonella. Now, the government is taking action — how will your facility react?

As the careful, conscientious grower you are, you’ve decided to take samples of your irrigation water to a lab for testing. When the results come back, you see a “Cl^–” concentration of 65 parts per million (ppm). You see those letters, “Cl” and grow a bit concerned. After all, isn’t it bad to have chlorine in your soil?

As the National Swimming Pool Foundation^® begins to celebrate its 50^th year anniversary, it is busy preparing for the 12^th Annual World Aquatic Health™ Conference (WAHC).

Although you may not look forward to a pool inspection by a local health inspector, it's best to think of the visits as extra layers of protection to guard against potential problems. Health inspectors don’t visit with the goal of shutting down your pool. The job of an inspector is to spot issues and enforce local and state regulations to benefit public health. You can help prepare for your pool’s inspection by understanding the regulations and certifications health inspector refer during those inspections. 

If you’ve read the last Keeping Tabs post on takeaways from the NACCHO-Axiall “Looking for Trouble” survey, you’ve learned crucial information about what aquatic facility inspectors are looking for, the standards they adhere to and how to avoid some of the most common causes of pool shutdowns. But with even more recent data from the CDC on swimming pool outbreaks, as reported on NBC's Today Show, health inspectors are on high alert across the nation as the July 4th holiday weekend approaches.