Active IQ Level 3 Certificate in Pool Plant Operations (sample manual)

Manual
Level 3 Certificate in
Pool Plant Operations
Version AIQ004240

Section 1: The responsibilities of pool operators to provide a safe pool environment
Section 1: The responsibilities of
pool operators to provide a safe pool
environment
Pool operators, and all other individuals who are responsible for the management and
operation of pools, have a legal responsibility to provide a safe pool environment for
bathers, staff, spectators and visitors.
Pool water should be clean and free from any contaminants that may harm bathers or
make them ill. Many things can contaminate a pool; these include physical pollutants
from the human body, biological pollutants (such as bacteria or infections), and chemical
pollutants from bathers, incoming water supplies or added by pool operators.
As with any other industry in the UK, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAW)
places a legal duty on pool operators to ensure a safe working environment and safe
working practices. This is referred to as a ‘duty of care’.
The HASAW 1974 is reinforced by the European Management of Health and Safety at
Work Regulations 1999 which require managers and pool operators to carry out risk
assessments and produce documents which underpin safe working practices. These
documents are referred to as ‘Normal Operating Procedures’ (NOPs) and ‘Emergency
Action Plans’ (EAPs).
Normal Operating Procedures apply to the working environment most of the time, when
everything is running normally. Emergency Action Plans come into play when things go
wrong.
Should anyone be hurt or injured as a result of non-compliance with the law, there
may be an investigation leading to the prosecution of individuals and organisations.
Businesses may also become vulnerable to claims for compensation by the damaged
party.
There are a number of publications which provide guidance on the operation of pools, including:
• Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools (HSG179, 2003, third edition, published by the HSE).
• Swimming Pool Water: treatment and quality standards for pools and spas (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group
(PWTAG), 2009).
• Code of Practice: The management and treatment of swimming pool water (PWTAG).
• Guidelines for safe recreational water environments: volume 2, swimming pools and similar environments (World
Health Organisation, 2006).
• BS EN 13451-1:2001. Swimming pool equipment. Part 1. General safety requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 15288-2:2008. Swimming pools. Safety requirements for operation.
• BS EN 15288-1:2008. Swimming pools. Safety requirements for design.
Although there are a number of guidance documents, the industry has adopted ‘Managing Health and Safety in Swimming
Pools (HSG179)’ and the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group publication ‘Swimming Pool Water: treatment and
quality standards for pools and spas’ as the key authoritative texts. Most Normal Operating Procedures and Emergency
Action Plans for swimming pools are based on these two documents.
These texts will be referred to throughout this manual as HSG179 (‘Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools’
document) and SPW (PWTAG publication ‘Swimming Pool Water: treatment and quality standards in pools and spas’).
4 | Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale

Section 4: The importance of good hygiene prior to pool use
Point 1: Changing room floors must be kept clean
by regular scrubbing and mopping.
Point 2: Bathers should be encouraged to use the
toilets prior to swimming.
Point 3: All bathers must be encouraged to shower
prior to swimming in order to remove bacteria, sweat,
cosmetics, etc.
Point 4: Avoid poolside contamination by
encouraging the use of over-shoes. Pool surrounds to
be thoroughly scrubbed.
Figure 4.1 The four-point plan for good pool hygiene
End of section: Learning check
Answer the following questions and make notes to revise this section.
• What methods are adopted at your pool in order to encourage bathers to engage in pre-swim hygiene?
• List three benefits for the pool operator of having an effective pre-swim hygiene regime.
• List three benefits for the bather of having an effective pre-swim hygiene regime.
Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale | 13

Section 6: The pool water circulation system
Section 6: The pool water circulation
system
In order for swimming pool water to stay safe and clear, it needs to flow through a series of processes (see figure 6.1).
Swimming pool
Heat
Exchanger
pH correction
injection point
Balance
Tank
Note: not all pools
have a balance tank
A surface draw-off system removes the
surface water, and water leaves the bottom of
the pool through sump outlets. In deck level
pools, the water is then fed into a balance
tank.
Strainer
Circulating Pump
Filter(s)
Figure 6.1 Pool water circulation system
Coagulant/
flocculant
injection
Disinfectant
Injection
Point
Sample point
to automatic
dosing unit
BALANCE TANK
The balance tank (figure 6.2) accommodates
the water displaced by bathers. The balance
tank also provides a means of introducing
water into the system to replace water used
to wash the filters.
Figure 6.2 A balance tank
Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale | 15

Section 6: The pool water circulation system
From the balance tank, the water then passes through a strainer (figure 6.3).
The strainer removes large particles of debris in order to protect the pump. The
strainer will remove physical debris such as plasters, hair, hair grips and bits
of polystyrene. The water is then drawn by suction into the circulating pump.
In some smaller pools where the surface draw-off system incorporates skimmers,
the skimmers themselves will also include a small strainer.
Figure 6.3 A typical strainer
The circulating pump (figure 6.4) circulates the water around the system in a
similar way to how the heart pumps blood around the body. The pump has to be
adequately sized in order to provide the design turnover for the pool (see unit 3).
Figure 6.4 A circulation pump
Pool water then passes through the filter (figure 6.5), which is responsible
for removing fine particles and for producing clear, good quality water. There
are different types of filters used within swimming pools, and these will be
discussed in detail in unit 3.
Figure 6.5 Pool water filter
The water then passes through a heat exchanger (figure 6.6), which heats the
water to the temperature appropriate for the type of pool. The heat exchanger
(or calorifier) works on an indirect heating principle and heats the pool water by
around 0.5°C.
Figure 6.6 Pool water plate heat exchanger
16 | Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale

Section 3: Backwashing filtration systems
Although the filters should be backwashed when the pressure gauge differential reaches the level specified by the filter
manufacturer, it is useful to set aside a specific time when backwashing can be carried out, e.g. when the pool is not
in use or at the end of the day.
Backwashing is typically carried out once per week on swimming pools, but it may be required more frequently
depending on the bathing load and the consequential difference in pressure between the inlet and outlet pressure
gauges.
As part of the backwashing process, it is possible that the level of water in the pool will be significantly lowered, so it
is always safer if the backwashing is done at a time when the pool is not in use. The best time is at the end of the day;
this means that the filter sand can settle down, the plant can raise the water temperature and time is available to restore
the chemical parameters ready for the following day.
Rinsing
After backwashing, the filter should then be rinsed to enable the sand to settle down and to flush through any dirty water
which may have been lodged in the pipework.
Figure 3.2 illustrates the filtering, backwashing and rinsing process.
Figure 3.2 The backwashing procedure
In the filtration system illustrated in figure 3.2, the valves are numbered from 1-6. Pool water enters from the left and
returns to the pool via valve 4 on the bottom left. With the exception of valve 6, which is merely an air release valve and
is only open for a few seconds to vent the filter after a backwash, there will only be two valves open at any one time.
The valve positions for normal filtration in this example are given in table 3.1.
48 | Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale

Section 4: Valves commonly used in the swimming pool plant
A check valve is also incorporated into injection points and in the suction points from chemical dosing systems.
Multiple-port valves
Figure 4.5 Multiple-port valve
This type of valve is usually restricted to smaller installations with plastic pipework; because of its construction, this
valve is able to change several port positions by simply moving the handle/lever on the valve.
Depending on the lever position, the valve can be set to filtration, backwashing, rinsing, bypass or drain.
This type of valve is often used in conjunction with high-rate sand filters found on small pools, spa pools and hydrotherapy
pools.
Advantages and disadvantages of valve types
Table 4.1 addresses the advantages and disadvantages of the various valves used in swimming pools.
TYPE OF VALVE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Gate valve Opens and closes the valve slowly. Can be over-tightened and can get
jammed in the closed position.
Ball valve
You can see if the valve is open or
closed by the position of the valve
handle.
None, but usually only used on
plastic pipework.
Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale | 51

Section 6: Hydraulic flow of swimming pool water
basket and empty debris that has been skimmed from the swimming pool. Skimmer systems remove surface water by
drawing the water to the skimmer outlets.
Skimmers are often installed in hotel pools and smaller school pools, and they are very popular in outdoor swimming
pools. In some cases, the skimmer basket is used as a receptacle for chemicals (such as slowing dissolving chlorine
tablets). Extreme caution must be exercised when adding any chemical in this way, as it is easy for chemicals to be
accidentally mixed, which could result in the production of chlorine gas or an explosion.
Figure 6.4 Skimmers
Pool outlets
There are British Standards which relate to the size of apertures in grille openings, whether they are inlet or outlet grilles.
The size of the aperture should not exceed 8mm (BS EN 13451).
It is also recognised that excessive suction at the outlet may cause entrapment, injury and drowning, so there should
be a minimum of two outlets from the pool and they need to be spaced sufficiently apart to prevent a body being drawn
in or trapped.
Where a single outlet is installed in a pool, it is necessary to mount a protective grid cover which increases the surface
area of the grille but at the same time stops the possibility of a bather being sucked onto the outlet. These devices are
referred to as ‘anti-vortex covers’.
ACTIVITY
Draw a sketch of your own pool indicating where the water enters
and leaves the pool and the place where sample water is taken for
testing.
Figure 6.5 Anti-vortex cover
End of section: Learning check
Answer the following questions and make notes to revise this section.
• What sort of surface water removal system is employed at your pool?
• Which of the three methods of surface water removal is considered to be the best?
• How does the swimming pool water circulate from the inlets to the outlets in your own pool?
• How many inlets are there at your pool? Where are they?
• How many outlets are there at your pool?
• Why are single outlets a problem? How is this problem addressed in practice?
Copyright © 2016 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale | 95