ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A company is working on a smart pool monitor that can detect when a swimmer urinates in the water.

Once placed in a pool, the gadget will continuously monitor the water's PH values, chlorine levels and temperature.

The chlorine concentration is reduced when urine enters the pool. When this occurs, the gadget sends a notification to a designated iPhone or Android app with details of the changes.

Named the Drop, the gadget has been designed by a start-up company that hopes to gain crowd-funding via a Kickstarter campaign.

In a recent poll by Travel Zoo, 64 per cent of US respondents admitted to having urinated in a swimming pool. Other nationalities who confessed to the practice included Canadians (58 per cent); British (46 per cent); and Germans (44 per cent).

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, swimming pool "red-eye" is caused by a combination of chlorine mixed with the nitrogen-containing compounds found in urine, sweat and dirt. This compound can also irritate the respiratory system and cause "swimmer's cough" claims the CDC.

Besides monitoring urine, the solar-powered Drop can also detect unexpected entries in the pool. This means it can tell when a child falls in by accident or when an intruder takes an illicit dip, claim the developers.