Indoor aquatic facility water and air quality.
Contents = Short history - Issues and solutions - Responsibilities of coach and swimmers – facilities - LSC - USAS
History - At the present time over 30% of the Facilities Development Department’s “please solve my problem” type calls have to do with poor air quality. This is a challenge for all indoor facilities. For those who say: “It hasn’t always been this way what happened” here is a really brief synopsis. 1950 to 1970 the cost for gas and electricity was a fraction of what it is now. Pools feed warm air from the “furnace” into the pool room by radiators or air vents deck level. They exhausted 100% of that air out of vents in the roof or high on the wall. So the air flow pattern was ideal -100% feed fresh air low and exhaust used air high. Then the cost for utilities went up every year. We started trying to retain warm air and reuse it and sometimes even dehumidify it. This caused a new set of issues with FRESH air. Then in the 1990’s the industry deemed that using gas chlorine (the standard for all pools) was no longer safe. So the popularity of liquid and granular and tablet chlorine increased. Chlorine is naturally a gas so to convert it to a sold or liquid there have to be other elements introduced. These binders and inert ingredients make it almost impossible for all chlorine to be released therefore some of the chlorine “locks-up” and builds up in the pool. When human things such as sweat, urine, and bath-body products are introduced to the water, this locked up chlorine (combined chlorine or available chlorine) is released into the air. These are called chloramines and are the cause of air quality issues. So the difference between now and 30 years ago is:
· Reusing air to save cost of utilities
· Using different types/forms of chlorine that can cause chloramines
· Pool users not showering to remove the bath and body products before entering pool
· Peeing in pool
· Much more sophisticated equipment that is harder to maintain.
Issues - First & Foremost: Air Quality and Water Quality are dependent on each other. Chloramines (combined chlorine) occurs when free chlorine combines with ammonia and other nitrogen compounds. This “combining process” can be accelerated by perspiration, urine, saliva, body oils, lotions and some shampoos/soaps, fertilizers, and many industrial or household cleaners. The odor is created when water is not properly balanced. The odor intensifies when swimmers agitate the water – as in kicking or general warm-up swimming. The odor is worse at water level but can be extremely irritating at deck level or in the viewing area. Many times not only an odor is noticeable but eye irritation and difficulty breathing is also experienced. Sometimes the water may be hazy – but not always. Many times, the water will appear perfectly clear and the water test for free chlorine and pH reads normal.
People with Asthma can be more susceptible when exposed to this type of pool condition for even a short period of time. Most of the problems occur in indoor pools. Outdoor pools have plenty of fresh air and sunshine (ultra violet light) so they are not as susceptible to the chloramines problem.
Chloramine formation can be accelerated by:
1. Swimmers not properly showering before entering pool.
2. People using the pool rather than getting out and going to the restroom.
3. People doing a high level of aerobic activity and sweating in the water. (Everyone sweats in the water – the same as if they were doing exercise on land)
4. Residues from ammonia based cleaning products that are used on decks or in shower rooms/lavatories.
5. Residues from fertilizers used on landscaping (nitrogen based) that get tracked into building on everyone’s shoes.
6. Poor air circulation and lack of fresh air introduction into the pool building.
7. Overuse of “shocking” the pool for maintenance purposes.
8. Improper use of certain brands of chemicals not suitable for conditions specific to a geographic area.
9. City water containing chloramines.
SOLUTIONS - If Chloramines are detected the most prevalent solution used to be “shock” the water. This means super-chlorination (break-point chlorination) or raising the level of chlorine in the pool to 10 parts per million or higher. Sometimes these methods may temporarily “burn out” chloramines but will also necessitate the pool being closed for a few days. More than the normal amount of fresh air will also have to be introduced during this process. However - shocking the pool can create a whole new set of problems and recent information suggest this is not a viable way to solve any chloramine problems.
Usually more than one thing needs to be changed to alleviate the problem. The most effective methods are:
1. Change the air circulation system to include more fresh air introduction and better turnover or more efficient closed system circulation and dehumidification.
2. Evaluate the type and brands of chemicals being used to treat the pool water for both chlorine and pH control
3. Evaluate the pool filtration system to see if a filter that filters down to a more effective micron rating (like DE at 4 microns) would help.
4. Check the labels on all cleaning products to make sure they do not contain ammonia or are not nitrogen enriched.
5. Have pool staff attempt to get the users of the pool to take showers before entering – this is usually required by state health codes.
6. Consider installing a medium pressure Ultra Violet (UV) water treatment system that cuts down on the amount of chlorine you have to use and also “breaks down” mono and di and tri chloramines.
7. If the city is using chloramination rather than chlorination install an activated carbon filter on the pool fresh water fill line. This will remove chloramines from the source water before it gets into the pool.
Responsibilities of coach and swimmers –
· Coaches need to realize that the swimmers are the main cause of the problem. Coaches need to make it a team policy (and constantly reinforce and enforce it) that all swimmers take a 15 second warm shower before entering pool. This includes their home pools and the ones they visit for meets.
· Coaches need to allow their swimmers to take bathroom breaks during practices and educate the swimmers that one person peeing in the pool can adversely affect 10,000 gallons of pool water for over a week.
Responsibilities of Facilities – Every facility should have a certified pool operator on staff. Every staff member of the facility should understand basic water chemistry and how to take water readings. Both Free and Combined Chlorine and pH should be tested a minimum of three times a day. The state health codes require these readings to be recorded in a written log. Water problems can be detected early before they turn into serious air quality problems.
Responsibilities of meet-host (club) and the sanctioning LSC - Pre meet – at least a week out – make sure the pool used for the event has had no recent air quality issues and that they know their HVAC equipment has been recently inspected and properly maintained. Make sure the pool logs for water quality have been properly filled out. The CPO (Certified Pool Operator) should NOT shock the pool before or during the meet. This accelerates the formation of chloramines regardless of published information to the contrary. Almost every indoor pool needs a medium pressure UV water treatment system to have a chance for good quality air during a large meet. Signs need to be posted for swimmers take showers and to use the bathrooms and not pee in the pool.
If a pool has had previous water-air quality problems, then the LSC needs to make sure the problem was accurately identified then corrected before issuing another meet sanction.
If a problem occurs during the meet the meet referee should stop the meet until the cause of the problem has been identified and corrected and the pool environment is safe. The meet host can also form a meet committee that the referee can refer the issue to. An example of such a committee would be:
· The meet referee
· The meet director
· 2 coaches form different visiting teams
· 2 swimmers over 16 years old from different teams (not the same teams as the coaches above)
· 1 medical doctor or equivalent if possible
It is always a tremendous inconvenience to delay or cancel a meet session but the safety of the athletes must take precedence. The LSC should have a similar procedure as above as a condition of their meet sanction.
Responsibilities of USA Swimming – We have a USA Swimming Club Development Division department dedicated to staying up-to-date on the most efficient and effective ways to treat pool water and HVAC systems. Since we cannot be on site for meets, our department’s goals are to:
· Through newsletters, web articles, and other means, be a resource for the most up-to-date information for our members, coaches, clubs and LSC’s.
· Assist with problem solving
· Attend aquatic conventions and clinics and interact with the best resources in the industry
· Take an active part in research for water and air quality