Study finds whirlpool water laden with bacteria

A teaspoon of typical tap water has about 138 bacteria. A teaspoon of typical hot tub water has about 2.17 million. That’s only one of the unsettling findings by a team of Texas A&M researchers.

Of the 43 public and private tubs tested, a scary 95 percent showed the presence of (squeamish reader alert) fecal bacteria; 81 percent had fungi; 34 percent contained staphylococcus, which can cause deadly infections. The researchers said the lining of whirlpool pipes was where the nastiest stuff grew; when the jets are turned on, it’s blown into the tub. Typical cleaning provided little protection.