The Ministry of Health (MOH) released a report Wednesday that said almost 20 percent of swimming pools in China do not have government licenses for sanitation and are considered risky for swimmers' health.

The MOH released a report of a nationwide inspection on 1,958 swimming pools and 36,351 bathhouses, hotels, hairdresser's shops and beauty salons, all of which have to be approved for government sanitation licenses.

About 20 percent of the swimming pools are not equipped with disinfecting facilities and 21.3 percent do not disinfect their facilities or water, the ministry said. Some swimming pools were disinfected in a wrong way and several did not circulate water to disinfect it in line with health regulations so as to reduce the cost, the MOH report said.

The administration fined 57 owners of swimming pools, warned 60 and closed eight, the MOH said. The MOH will tighten the supervision of pool cleanness.

Swimming pools, bathhouses, hotels, hairdressers and beauty salons all have to meet government sanitation requirements to gain an operating license. Those without the licenses open business illegally without government monitoring.

The report said 3.8 percent of bathhouses, 3.8 percent of hotels and 6.3 percent of hairdresser's shops and beauty salons did not have sanitation licenses.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2004)