As commercial pool operators, you have a lot on our to-do lists. Some of you manage multiple bodies of water. Some of you take care of the entire property, not just the swimming pool. You are required to be compliant with local health codes so that no one gets hurt or sick, which is most important. You also don’t want your body of water to be shut down.
A well-balanced pool requires water testing. How often you should test is dictated by your local health agency. Some require just once-a-day testing. Others require every hour. In my opinion, how often should public pool water be tested? As often as possible. Testing before adding chemicals is crucial. It not only helps us actually balance the pool water, but reduces chemical waste. Reducing chemical waste saves money. It also ensures you have the safest body of water possible.
There is something out there that, due to its innovative technology, can make water testing a breeze. The Pool Shark H2O App gives you accurate dosing instructions. It uses the Langelier Saturation Index to make such recommendations. Our water can either be neutral, corrosive or scale-forming. With 0 being neutral, our goal is to keep the water 0.15 in either direction.
The Pool Shark H2O App can be paired with the LaMotte Spin Lab. To test with the lab you take a small sample of pool water with a syringe. Then, insert the sample into a spin disc. The disc then goes into the spin lab and your results are sent to your chosen devices with the Pool Shark H2O App in just 60 seconds! Not ready to take the leap to the spin lab? That is a-okay. You can test by your usual method and manually insert your results into the Pool Shark H2O App.
The reason we need to test the water is to ensure proper water chemistry. Water chemistry can change for various reasons. How much direct sunlight the body of water gets, bather load, organic and inorganic load, and water temperature all play a part in changes in our water’s chemistry. Spa are especially susceptible to frequent changes due to the smaller vessel and the high temps. Did you know that one person in a spa is about the same as 25 people in a swimming pool? Since one can get very sick, or potentially die, in a spa, I always tell my pool operators to be EXTRA diligent on water testing and chemical adjustments and test often.
Proper water chemistry not only saves lives, but can protect your pool’s surface, plumbing, and even equipment. It also makes for a clear and inviting pool. Cloudy water is not only unsightly but poses a potential accidental drowning risk. One must always be able to see the main drain of the swimming pool at any given moment. Testing your water often helps prevent illness and damage and is required by law. So you need to make sure you and your staff are always compliant.
Another important factor in keeping a swimming pool and spa in good shape is proper circulation. Most regions require that the pool pump be on for 24 hours. We also need to repair any leaks, creaks or squeaks in our equipment A.S.A.P. We want our equipment functioning properly. We also need to make sure our filters are cleaned, or backwashed, regularly. Having a dirty filter can lead to poor water clarity. Proper circulation also allows your chemicals to mix and work.
We are not just testing our water to be compliant with health code regulations. We also want our water to be safe. Safety should always be our number one goal. Logging your swimming pool results help you not only stay compliant, but can save your behind if someone claims to have gotten ill at your facility. We used to rely on old-fashioned paper logs. Paper log books can be unused, get wet or misplaced or just take up a bunch of room seeing as they need to be saved for years. The Pool Shark H2O App digitally saves all of your water test results on a cloud-based system. This can be a huge asset should someone fall ill and claim it was in YOUR swimming pool or spa. Let’s protect people from getting sick while protecting ourselves from potential lawsuits. Test and log that water regularly! Use the Pool SHark H2O App to do it with ease. See you poolside!
Compliant Commercial Pool Water Testing
Guide to Public Pool Testing Requirements