A swimming pool, swimming bath, or wading pool is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for recreational or competitive swimming, diving, or for other bathing activities that involve swimming, e.g. play, wading, water exercise, floating around on inner tubes, or merely cooling off on hot days. It usually contains the chemical Chlorine to control bacteria,

One can distinguish between private and public pools: in warm parts of the world private ones are usually outdoors, while public ones can be outdoors or indoors, with some complexes having both. In some parts of the world, a swimming pool for private use is considered a status symbol (an indoor private pool even more so). Swimming pools can be constructed either above ground (generally constructed from plastic and metal), or in the ground (usually formed either out of reinforced concrete and lined with special plaster, a one piece fiberglass shell, or prefabricated sectional walls and a vinyl liner).