Pools and water parks are supposed to be places where families can cool off, relax, and enjoy the summer. But when pool chemicals are mishandled, improperly mixed, released into the wrong area, or allowed to reach unsafe levels, they can cause serious injuries beyond simple eye irritation. If mishandled, the harsh chemicals used to keep pools sanitary can cause chemical burns, breathing problems, or worse.
In Texas, several high-profile chemical exposure incidents have involved water parks, pools, lazy rivers, and aquatic facilities. Some have affected children and families, and others have injured workers and contractors. The crux of many of these cases falls to training and negligence.
On This Page
- Yes, You Can Be Burned by Jumping In a Pool
- Relevant Texas Chemical Exposure Incidents
- Texas Pool Safety Rules and Chemical Standards
- Who Can Be Liable After Pool or Water Park Chemical Exposure?
- Common Injuries in Pool Chemical Exposure Cases
- What To Do After Chemical Exposure at a Pool or Water Park
- Contact a Texas Chemical Exposure Attorney in Houston
Yes, You Can Be Burned by Jumping In a Pool
The CDC states that pool chemical injuries account for about 4,500 emergency department visits each year and that at least one-third of those patients are under 18 years old. Many of these patients were allowed to enter the water prematurely, or were exposed to dangerous levels of cleaning solutions.
Public pools, water parks, hotel pools, apartment pools, gyms, and aquatic centers all rely on harsh chemicals to keep water clean. Some of the chemicals used to clean pools include:
- chlorine
- hypochlorite solutions
- acid
- and other treatment products.
Chlorine exposure affects the body differently depending on how they were exposed, how much they were exposed to, and how long the exposure lasted. Higher-level chlorine exposure can cause a number of symptoms, including blurred vision, eye tearing, burning in the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes, coughing, chest tightness, breathing problems, nausea, vomiting, skin pain, redness, blisters, and in severe cases respiratory failure.
A true nightmare scenario would be negligent handling of the chlorine, creating chlorine gas. Chlorine gas reacts your body, creating acid that injures your eyes, throat, and mouth. Chlorine gas is one reason why pool chemical exposure cases can be especially serious for children, people with asthma, and older adults. This risk compounds if the pool is indoors.
Relevant Texas Chemical Exposure Incidents
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown — Spring, Texas
One of the most widely reported Texas water park chemical exposure incidents happened at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring in July 2021. Reports stated that dozens of people suffered skin irritation and respiratory symptoms after a chemical leak near the kiddie pool area. Local news reported that 31 people were transported to hospitals and 55 others were affected but refused transport.
After the event, officials identified chemicals involving 35% sulfuric acid and hypochlorite solution, both commonly used in pool systems. A lawsuit later alleged that a concentrated and corrosive mixture of hypochlorite and sulfuric acid was released into a children’s pool area and that the family involved was not immediately evacuated. The lawsuit also alleged that employees delayed evacuation and asked visitors to take part in a promotional contest before leaving.
Club Westside — Houston, Texas
In June 2023, 12 guests were hospitalized after chemical exposure in the lazy river at Club Westside in West Houston. Among the victims were at least seven children and three adults, and at least two people were critically injured and placed in the ICU.
The cause of injury was traced to a chlorine spill that leaked into the lazy river — in other words, over-chlorination and failed storage.
Great Wolf Lodge — Webster, Texas
In August 2024, 16 employees and contractors were transported to hospitals after an improper mix of pool chemicals at the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park in Webster. Webster Fire Chief Dean Spencer told ABC13 that a contractor had mixed sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid, resulting in a chemical reaction.
Texas Pool Safety Rules and Chemical Standards
Texas public pools and spas are subject to public health and safety rules. The Texas Department of State Health Services lists Texas Health and Safety Code Section 341.064, Section 341.0645, and Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Chapter 265, Subchapter L as part of the laws and rules governing public swimming pools and spas.
Texas Health and Safety Code Section 341.064 states that an owner, manager, operator, or other attendant in charge of a public swimming pool must maintain the pool in a “sanitary condition.” It also states that public pools must maintain minimum free residual chlorine levels unless another department-approved disinfectant method is used.
Texas Administrative Code Section 265.193 addresses water quality at pools and spas. It requires pool and spa disinfectants or sanitizers to be EPA-registered for pool and spa use, requires water quality to meet listed chemical criteria when the pool or spa is open, and requires reliable testing for pH, chlorine, bromine, cyanuric acid, alkalinity, and calcium hardness.
Who Can Be Liable After Pool or Water Park Chemical Exposure?
Chemical exposure cases often involve more than one responsible party. Depending on the facts, liability may fall on:
Property Owners and Water Park Operators – The water park, hotel, gym, apartment complex, country club, municipal pool, or other aquatic facility may be responsible if it failed to maintain reasonably safe conditions. This can include failing to monitor chemical levels, failing to inspect equipment, failing to respond quickly to warnings, failing to evacuate guests, or failing to train employees in proper usage.
Pool Maintenance Companies / Contractors – Many facilities rely on outside companies to maintain pools, balance chemicals, repair equipment, or service chemical feed systems. If a maintenance provider uses the wrong chemical, adds too much of a substance, fails to test the water, fails to document readings, or ignores warning signs, that company may be partially or wholly liable.
Equipment Manufacturers or System Installers – Some chemical exposure incidents may involve malfunctioning feeders, pumps, tanks, valves, sensors, alarms, or automated chemical systems. Equipment manufacturers or installers can be held liable if their product truly failed under normal conditions.
Common Injuries in Pool Chemical Exposure Cases
Pool chemical injuries can range from temporary irritation to severe, lasting harm. Potential injuries include:
- Burning eyes and blurred vision
- Skin redness, irritation, pain, or chemical burns
- Throat, nose, and lung irritation
- Coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Asthma attacks or worsening of pre-existing respiratory conditions
- Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome, also known as chemical-induced asthma
- Pulmonary edema or serious lung injury in severe exposures
- Emotional distress after a frightening mass exposure event
While short chlorine exposure may resolve within 7 to 14 days for many people, more serious exposure can lead to ongoing symptoms and lung issues, including reactive airways dysfunction syndrome.
Because symptoms can vary so heavily, anyone exposed to high levels of pool chemicals should seek medical attention, especially if they experience breathing problems, burns, vomiting, or chest tightness.
What To Do After Chemical Exposure at a Pool or Water Park
If you or your child were exposed to chemicals at a pool, water park, hotel, gym, apartment pool, or public aquatic facility:
- Get away from the exposure area.
- Seek medical care immediately, especially for breathing issues, burns, blurry eyes, vomiting, or chest tightness.
- Report the incident to facility management.
- Ask for a written incident report.
- Take photos or videos if safe to do so.
- Save clothing, towels, wristbands, tickets, receipts, and other evidence.
- Write down what you smelled, saw, felt, and were told by staff.
- Get contact information for witnesses.
- Avoid signing releases or settlement paperwork before speaking with an attorney.
Contact a Texas Chemical Exposure Attorney in Houston
If you or someone you love suffered chemical exposure at a pool, water park, hotel, apartment complex, gym, lazy river, splash pad, or aquatic facility, you may have a legal claim. These cases can be complicated, and involve a high number of liable parties.
Hilda Sibrian has represented injury victims in chemical exposure claims across Texas for over 22 years. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured as a result of chemical exposure at a water park or pool, you need to call an experienced Houston attorney as soon as possible. The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian serve all of Houston and Texas, including Sugar Land, Missouri City, La Porte, Beaumont, Pasadena, The Woodlands, The Heights, Bellaire, Kingwood, Baytown and of course Houston proper.
Call the Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian today for a free consultation, or fill out our online contact form
