Commercial Pool Cleanliness
24/12-14 at 05.55 by: Jason Somerville-Kimlin
According to new research by Poolwerx, commercial pool users rated council pools as the least hygienic and dirtiest of all commercial pools (commercial pools included council pools, strata/shared complex pools, gym pools and hotel pools).
Poolwerx Chief Executive John O’Brien stated “our latest study shows commercial pools are under strict scrutiny, not only by governing authorities, but also pool users, which means it’s absolutely paramount a water management plan is developed, detailing regular and preventative water treatment and ongoing maintenance”.
Preventative maintenance schedules should be customized to suit the physical layout of each site and consider factors such as, but not limited to, bather loads, peak bather demands, condition of make-up water, capabilities of water treatment system, system redundancies, lag periods (between actual test results and controller readings), manual/semi-automatic/fully automatic control systems, age of water treatment system, level of airborne particulates and other environmental factors, proximity to external environmental factors (pollutant contributors), ambient operating temperatures, water temperatures, exposure to infectious disease outbreaks, availability and expertise of staff amongst other factors.
In Queensland, council pools, shallow heavy use pools such as those in water playgrounds, learn to swim centres, water parks and play pools for children are considered category 1 (high risk) pools, as such, the following is the minimum requirement:
- Most of the supervisory systems should be automated;
- Extensive records must be kept;
- Pool water chemical testing should be conducted five (5) times per day, more if chemical levels are out of range (OOR); and
- Monthly microbial testing (conducted by a NATA accredited laboratory).
The aforementioned testing regime is only part of the solution, vigilance with respect to maintenance, water quality, customer service, facility cleanliness, provision of shade and/or shaded structures, state of grounds and gardens, advisory signage, depth markings and managements approach to controlling of water space, all impact on the patrons experience.
Given the increasing scrutiny from government and public, todays aquatic professional must ensure legislative requirements are met and their number one product, that is, water quality, represents exceptional value to the discerning user.
If one is to shift the reported perception, aquatic professionals must reconsider current operating practices, find the right recipe, systemize and replicate, day-in, day-out.