WATER at 18 public swimming pools has been found to contain excessive levels of bacteria, dirt and urea, according to a survey released yesterday by the local health authority.

“The owners of the pools failed to keep the water fresh and allowed people to swim in them without first showering,” said Zhang Fan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Supervision Agency.

In other cases, owners put too much or too little antiseptic and chloride into their pools, Zhang said.