All over the country, wherever there’s water — at lakes, rivers, the seashore, and at public and private pools — people are swimming and learning to swim. The first swimming school in the U.S. opened this month in 1827. It was on the Charles River in Boston, and students were suspended in a harness from a long pole. Today, more than 50 million people enjoy swimming on a regular basis, making it one of our favorite sporting activities. Many swim in their own backyard pools, among the 10 million pools across the country. Many hire a service firm to take care of their pool’s regular maintenance. These services generate $1.7 billion a year in revenue. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.