The Viral 'Hacer Caca' That Challenges People To Poo In Swimming Pools

05/08/2019

Spanish media is reporting a bizarre viral trend where people are defecating in public swimming pools and water parks, with reports that some had to even close their facility so their staffs can clean and disinfect the water.

Dubbed the 'Hacer Caca', which literally means 'make a poop', early teens were taking parts in this viral trend, where they directly poop inside water, or inside a bag to then carry the waste to the pool and drop it in.

They then share photos and videos of their actions.

Segóbriga Park, in Valencia, had to close twice in one week after two separate incidents, the El Periódico Mediterráneo's report continued.

A statement from the park reads:

"For causes beyond the direction of the Segóbriga Park and for a reason of hygiene and health caused by an incident, the complex has been forced to close during the morning of Wednesday, 24 July and must remain closed until Thursday 25 until 2pm."
Public swimming pool at the Segóbriga Park
Segóbriga water park in Spain. The pool was forced to close for two days after human feces were found in the pool

This was followed by a second statement on 31 July, which reads:

"The City Council of Segorbe has been forced to close again the pool of Segóbriga park to perform tasks of disinfection of the waters, until tomorrow about 2pm."

"We appeal to the civility of the people who make use of the facilities of Segóbriga park so that these kinds of actions do not harm the Segorbinos and the tourists who visit us, and we appeal to [visitors'] respect to ensure the good image of the tourism of Segorbe."

Segorbe City Council asked the locals to avoid doing the disgusting act to protect swimmers health as well as to preserve their tourism.

Some of the swimming pools are also installing CCTV cameras and reactive dye to catch the culprits red-handed.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Valencia is the worst-hit region. But with the challenge spreading viraly on social media networks, people started doing 'Hacer Caca' across Spain and to holiday beaches as well as other pools.

As a result, human feces were also found at the swimming pool in Massanassa, Tavernes Blanques and Catarroja.

Staff at one of the parks was shocked as "nothing like it had happened in 19 years".

Human feces are full of bacteria, and the reason fecal bacteria is threatening is because a lot of diseases can spread through this medium.

For example, the parasite Cryptosporidium, is a type of apicomplexan parasitic that is resistant to chlorine in pools. When infecting humans, the parasite can lead to gastrointestinal illness and diarrhea.

Other diseases that can spread through human feces, include and not limited to: hepatitis, typhoid fever, cholera, norovirus, polio, E. coli, tape worms, giardia, rotavirus, and more.

Besides using chlorine or bromine as the first and the most conventional method to sanitize water, large public swimming pools in general also use two distinct and separate methods for sanitation.

The first is the consecutive dilution system which is to remove organic waste on a daily basis by using the sieve baskets inside the skimmer and circulation pump and the sand unit with a backwash facility for easy removal of organic waste from the water circulation. The second is by using disinfectants that can come in the form of Hypochlorous acid (HClO) to kill infectious microorganisms.

Pools can also use a copper ion system to kill organisms such as algae in the water.