(WSBT) Warmer temperatures are here to stay, which means many parents and their kids will be spending more time in swimming pools. But the chemicals in the water can cause sickness.

There's more to water safety than keeping an eye on your kids and wearing a life jacket. This is the time of year when water safety is promoted in terms of drowning prevention and sunscreen. But many people often don't check the water itself where they are swimming.

Local health departments are legally required to perform inspections at all public swimming pools and spas. Examples are at hotels, city pools and health clubs. Health inspectors say pH and chlorine levels are the two most important things to keep balanced. That's because they control bacteria in the pool that could make cause illness.

But those aren't the only dangers. Kevin Harrington is an inspector with the St. Joseph County Health Department. He said there are also explosion dangers.

"If you add water to, like, calcium hypochlorite, you have explosions that could happen, or it could ignite," Harrington told WSBT News.

Many of the common pool chemicals aren't compatible with each other. Harrington said that can also be dangerous.

"If they use one scoop for one chemical, they might use the same scoop for another one and that can cause a reaction as well," he said.

When the Health Department makes a visit to a public pool, chemicals aren't the only thing they check. They also make sure the lifeguard-to-swimmer ratio is high enough, and the depth and "No Diving" areas are clearly marked. They also check the flow of water in the filters.

Public pools are legally required to be checked at least once a year. If those pools are in violation of any rules, the Health Department will shut the pool down until the problem is corrected. If it still isn't fixed, the facility owners have to meet with the department for a hearing.