Swimming Pool Operation

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Ron Arendas — No Response ↓

This page contains recommended protocols, procedures, and best practices relating to the operation of an aquatics facility. These recommendations are not intended to replace or supersede any law, regulation, or protocol required for the operation of any aquatic facility. The following topics are included:

  • Basic Operation
  • Circulation
  • Filtration
  • Pool Chemistry
  • Maintenance

The pool operator is responsible for the safe, healthful operation of the swimming pool. This responsibility is delegated and shared by the aquatic staff, taking the form of facility checks, maintenance tasks, and repair requests. To grasp the importance of these actions, swimming pool operations must be clearly understood.

Basic Operation

A swimming pool is an artificial basin of water designed primarily for recreational or competitive swimming. Most swimming pools consist of 5 components:

  • A basin
  • A circulation system (pump, inlets, outlets, and plumbing)
  • A filtration system
  • A chemical feeder
  • A heater

A swimming pool should have good water quality free from bacteria and particulate matter. Although this is largely carried out by these basic components, the aquatic staff and every swimming pool user plays a role in keeping the swimming pool clean. The following sections and links give more details:

Circulation

The circulation system keeps water continually moving from the pool basin through the filtration system, the chemical feeder, the heater, and then back to the pool basin again.

Filtration

During filtration, dirty water from the pool flows down through filters so that dirt and other insoluble pollutants are captured while the filtered water passes out the bottom of the filter and back to the pool basin. Over time, the debris collected in the filters begins to slow down the water flow. When this happens, the flow of the water can be reversed (called backwashing) so that the debris is pushed out the top of the filters and into the sewer.

 Pool Chemistry

Although the filtration system works hard to keep the water clean of solid waste, proper pool chemistry is required to make the water safe and suitable to swim in.

Maintenance

Even with the best pool equipment, circulation/filtration systems, disinfectants, etc., a swimming pool requires the care of a dedicated pool/maintenance staff as well as conscientious pool users to be as clean as possible. Maintenance is a broad term that can be used to describe all the efforts made to improve swimming pool water quality.

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