An epidemiological study involving 893 people was undertaken during the 1980/81 summer period in the Richmond and Windsor region of New South Wales to determine the incidence of swimmers and non‐swimmers reporting ear, eye, skin, throat and gastrointestinal complaints. Swimmers were found to report a greater incidence of ear and eye complaints than non‐swimmers. Swimmers who swam in community pools were found to have a significantly higher incidence of earache compared to other swimmers. The findings of the study supported overseas work which suggests that the incidence of earache among swimmers may be a useful health indicator in the evaluation of waters for recreational use.