Water clarity and quality are essential to patron loyalty and a facility’s reputation. This summer, take your facility to the next level with efficient, cost-effective and simple operational enhancements.Here are five pool improvements that will please your customers, staff, and management.
1. Controlling chemicals
Bather load drives the need for higher chemical levels. At times this creates high volumes of chloramines and disinfection byproducts. Additionally, chlorine levels can drift wildly at peak demand. Balance is essential.While automation and continuous feeding systems can help manage chlorine fluctuation, there are methods that prevent dramatic and unstable chlorine levels. Supplemental sanitation systems can help. An independent study measured the YMCA of Boulder Valley’s chlorine fluctuation before and after implementing a hydroxyl enhanced sanitation system. The transition resulted in greatly stabilized free chlorine levels while saving 50% of chlorine costs.
2. Budget builders
Air-handling and water chemistry are budget-busting items for facilities managers and aquatics directors. In 2016, the Jewish Community Center MetroWest (JCC) implemented a hydroxyl-based system from Clear Comfort and compared its chemical savings before and after. The facility saved 41% on its chemical spend, going from $8,594 to $4,875, and saved on its carbon dioxide gas use from $1,582 to $1,159. At the same time, the JCC was able to lower odor and improve swimmer experience.
3. Risk mitigation:
In 2016, there were more than 1,000 cryptosporidium cases reported. Facilities face closures, lawsuits and damage to reputation. Implementing the Model Aquatic Health Code’s recommendation for secondary sanitation can shield your patrons from health problems and your facility from additional risk.
The best way to select an effective secondary sanitation system is to use third-party testing to avoid vendor bias. For example, an independent study from the University of Colorado and the University of Washington found hydroxyl-based secondary sanitation systems destroy 99.99+ percent of cryptosporidium.
4. Pool automation
Technology has simplified the way aquatic facilities automate pool chemistry. “With automation, operators can see benefits in stability, cost and safety,” said Willan Johnson, President of VivoAquatics. “The latest trend is to improve remote monitoring and compliance reporting - health department visits will be easier than ever.”
5. Ooh, that smell!
Pool odor is not only one of the biggest complaints facility operators face, it is an indicator of chemicals that are corrosive to the facility and harmful to patrons and staff.
Studies have shown that facilities that leverage advanced oxidation can greatly reduce disinfection byproducts and odors. In a third-party study, a YMCA eliminated more than 90% of the disinfection byproducts in the pool and its accompanying odor by deploying the hydroxyl-based secondary sanitation system.
Taking the next step to improving your aquatics facility can result in a better patron experience, improved safety, lower chemical usage and costs, and assurance that water chemistry is monitored all day, every day. This summer, make these pool improvements and take advantage of improved technology that has advanced day-to-day operations of aquatics facilities
