Swimming Pool Treatment Methods

Water Purification

• Purifying the water in a swimming pool is obtained through various methods, such as chemical, physical or cross-flow filtration. Whether the swimming pool is in-ground or above ground, certain apparatus is required to maintain pure, clean water in which to swim. Pools are generally equipped with a filtration system along with a pump that keeps water flowing through the filters. Screens and sand filtration are initially used in the purification process. However, further filtration methods are needed to complete the process.

Types of Filtration

• Four types of filtration methods are occasionally used in the purification of the water in a swimming pool. These are, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis filtration. Each of these types of filtration is designed to remove different substances. For example, the microfiltration removes matter that is slightly larger at 0.1 to 1.5 microns, whereas ultrafiltration is effective at removing particles and organisms that measure from 0.005 to 0.1 microns. Nanofiltration removes minute particles that measure from 0.0001 to 0.0005 microns and is effective against herbicides, viruses and pesticides. The reverse-osmosis filtration removes the smallest particles, 0.0001 microns and less. All systems use permeable membranes that allow water and particles up to the defined size pass through and remove the large particles.

Chlorine Dioxide

• Chlorine dioxide is widely used as the primary disinfectant for the water in swimming pools. Chlorine dioxide produces less harmful byproducts and doesn't interact with other chemical substances in the water, as opposed to regular chlorine, which has the potential to do both. Chlorine dioxide effectively kills pathogens and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Testing

• Getting into the routine of testing your pool water on a regular basis is a good practice. The pH level, alkalinity, chlorine and bromine levels all need to be balanced in order to provide a healthy swimming environment. The most important level to maintain is the pH level, as this affects the other levels. The pH measures the acidity of the pool water. This measurement should fall within a range of 7.2 and 7.6 to allow the chlorine dioxide to work effectively. Ideal levels of chlorine dioxide are 1 to 3 ppm; bromine should be 2 to 4 ppm and the total alkalinity at 80 to 120 ppm with a maximum of 180 ppm.