October 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 58

OPERATIONS
Out with the Pool Odor:
A Tale of Impactful Improvements
The Goodson Recreation Center transformed its " pool " air quality
By Zach Morris

f you can't see your facility's pool, you shouldn't be able to smell
it. The chemical " pool " smell that invades hallways, lobbies and locker
rooms is not only unpleasant, but is also toxic to inhale. So, aquatics facilities, like the South Suburban's Goodson Recreation Center in Centennial, Colorado, have adopted new technologies to help mitigate poor air quality.

The Challenge

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLEAR COMFORT

The Goodson Recreation Center's
indoor pools were consuming too
much chlorine and, at the same
time, swimmers, staff and patrons
were all exposed to the " pool " odor
that permeated the entire facility.
Aquatics facilities that use a single form of sanitation run the risk
of making the pool and the surrounding areas stuffy and odorous.
There is a common misconception
that chlorine is the source of " pool "
odor when, in fact, it is the result of
too much expended chlorine in the
form of combined chlorine. Com-

bined chlorine forms when the chlorine in pool water mixes with organic and inorganic contaminants in
the water, such as sweat, skin oils,
urea, etc. Once combined chlorine
is formed, it has a limited ability
to disinfect pool water. Combined
chlorine is 25 times less effective
than free chlorine, or the chlorine
you purchase. Also, as chloramines
(formed when chlorine is combined
with a small amount of ammonia),
combined chlorine carries toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
gas with them. Both elements not
only hurt patrons and staff, but also

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affect the facility.
In addition to causing an unpleasant " pool " odor, exposure
to combined chlorine can cause
patrons and staff to experience
discomfort and develop harmful
health issues, such as irritated red
eyes and skin, allergies and asthma,
and Lifeguard lung, which causes
chronic coughing, chest tightness,
headaches and shortness of breath.
Some aquatics facilities shock
their pools with additional chlorine to mitigate combined chlorine
problems. The Goodson Recreation Center sought an easier, more
effective and sustainable solution
to break this painful cycle.

The Solution
Travis Toler, aquatics coordinator
at the Goodson Recreation Center,
knew that complementing their primary chlorine disinfection with secondary or supplemental sanitation
would help reduce combined chlorine and the " pool " odor it creates.
While primary disinfection options,
like chlorine or bromine, kill common pathogens, they do not cover
the full scope of sanitation.
The facility's search for secondary sanitation led Toler to Clear
Comfort's Advanced Oxidation
Process (AOP) pool treatment.
This AOP system uses hydroxyl

Travis Toler, aquatics coordinator at the
Goodson Recreation Center.
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October 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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