Acid Addition Options for Commercial Pools

Control of pH in commercial swimming pools can require constant adjustment. Normal bicarbonate alkalinity provides buffering to help guard against wide fluctuations of pH in water.  Increasing the bicarbonate alkalinity, however, increases the tendency for pH to drift upwards due to loss of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the air.[i]

Each May, pool operators and service professionals start getting ready to reopen pools that were closed for the cold winter months. To some degree, pool opening is covered in pool operator training courses. (See for example, the “Spring Start-up” section of chapter 16 in NSPF’s “Pool & Spa Operator™ Handbook.”).

Operators of aquatic facilities know the importance that proper pH holds in maintaining clean, healthy water. Swimmer comfort depends on having pH in balance (7.2 to 7.8) not to mention that it is also a key component in chlorine’s effectiveness in attacking pathogens. Acid addition plays a pivotal role to keep pH in check. Yet, the forms in which it comes and the delivery systems used to administer it can be cumbersome and open to safety concerns. A new acid delivery system from Westlake Water Solutions, a Westlake Company, is out to change all that.

The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) is a common guidepost under which many successful pool operators run their facility.

Issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2014 to create regulations and standards regarding all types of public recreational water venues across the country, the MAHC simplified a previously complicated process to assist in minimizing the spread of recreational water illnesses at disinfected swimming venues.

Until 2014, there was no nationwide standard issued by a government agency covering the maintenance of public pools, spas and other recreational water venues.

Image courtesy @mattmajendie (Twitter)

The Olympic swimming and diving competitions are some of the most popular events that capture the attention of fans worldwide. The precise and acrobatic skills of the divers, which usually culminates with entry into crystal blue pools, didn’t quite work out that way this year. The divers were there—but the water clarity wasn’t.