Standing Water Seen as a Menace

Concern Over West Nile Virus Could Prompt Action on Pools

Memorial Day weekend is not only the kickoff for the summer season; it is also the start of an intensive regionwide offensive against mosquitoes.

In Virginia, Prince William County has declared unmaintained swimming pools an official "health menace'' because they can serve as giant breeding grounds for the kinds of mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus -- a disease considered endemic to the area.

The "menace" designation allows county officials to go onto private property and remove aboveground pools, place covers on in-ground pools or put mosquito larvicide into the water.

"We're not just going to march in and throw our weight around. We will work with homeowners," said Earl Tester, a supervisor at the Prince William Health District, who said neglected pools are a significant problem in the county. "But they can't ignore the problem."

Across the region, localities are gearing up for another summer of fighting West Nile, a potentially deadly virus that has spread quickly since it was noticed in 1999.

"Standing water is a concern with every jurisdiction, and it goes beyond pools," said Sean O'Donnell, an official with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. "Swimming pool covers, drain spouts, anything that can hold standing water for a week or more is a vital concern."

O'Donnell said the region's major jurisdictions have taken steps to control stagnant water where mosquitoes love to breed.

Fairfax County has hired a contractor to target storm-drain catch basins, which are being treated with the larvicide Bacillus sphaericus, which dissolves in water. The substance contains proteins that, when consumed, cause mosquito larvae to starve, said Jorge Arias, the county's West Nile virus program supervisor.

Fairfax also is distributing education materials in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese that give residents tips about reducing the mosquito menace, from gutter cleaning to swimming pool maintenance.

"Most people are very aware of the problem and want to resolve it,'' Arias said. "I don't think anyone wants a slimy swimming pool in their yard.''