It isn’t just lifeguards enforcing a “no running by the pool” policy that helps to keep aquatic facilities safe.

In addition to enforcing common rules and regulations that swimmers have come to know for years, your part-time summer aquatic facility staff should have an in-depth understanding of the proper handling and use of pool chemicals in order to maintain a safe operation.

Pool season doesn’t simply begin on Memorial Day. It takes weeks of dedicated preparation to ensure aquatic facilities are in good operating order once the pool cover is removed.

While it’s paramount to ensure that your water is properly chlorinated and your staff is properly trained, it’s just as important to make sure other tasks aren’t being overlooked.

Westlake Water Solutions, a Westlake Corporation business unit, today introduced the Acid-Rite® 450 pH water balancing system for use in commercial swimming pools and spas. The system is NSF/ANSI Standard 50 listed and is recommended to serve pools up to 300,000 gallons.

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.