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'The purpose of Technical Note 50 - Pool Filter Specification is to highlight factors that need to be considered when specifying or selecting a sand filter. 

This Technical Note deals with the safe operation of paddling pools and splash parks - both of which present unique challenges.

There is information on both types of facility in the PWTAG book, Swimming Pool Water: Treatment and Quality Standards for Pools and Spas.

We realise that this guidance may be too late for this year with the season drawing to a close - nevertheless operators should be developing procedures for future operation. 

Please refer to Technical Note 43 for guidance on temporary pool closures during the second national lockdown.

Because of the current coronavirus emergency, the UK Government has ordered the closure of leisure centres. The following guidance explains the best way to temporarily shut down your pools.

There are two options for temporary closure of the pool water treatment - reducing or stopping circulation.

Reduced circulation

• Turn off pool water heating. Where heat exchanger booster pumps are in place, switch off and bypass the heating loop. Allow the pool water to cool naturally to ambient temperature. Prior to reopening the facility, the pool should be reheated in a controlled manner raising the water temperature by no more than one degree centigrade every four hours.
  
• Keep auto controller operating; raise free chlorine to the top of the recommended range; minimum 1.0mg/l and pH at 7.2 to 7.4. Check chemical concentrations and pH daily and adjust if necessary. 
  
• Turn UV or ozone off.
  
• Turn flocculant off.
  
• Circulation of the pool should continue - the movement of water in the pool tank is necessary to prevent stagnation. Due to the absence of bather pollution, circulating pumps can be run at lower speed settings; no less than 50 per cent of the design flow rate is advised. The balance between the flow from the pool bottom and the surface draw off will need to be adjusted to ensure movement throughout the depth of water.
  
• Continue to dose the pool water as normal using chemical controller. With no bathers in the pool, the required disinfection will reduce considerably. Chemicals will be used at a much reduced rate, so dosing tank levels should be monitored.
  
• The pool hall air temperature can be reduced in line with the water temperature, but it is important that this is kept at or above pool water temperature, and that the relative humidity is controlled to a maximum of 60 per cent to prevent condensation.
  

Daily

• Monitor and test the pool water to confirm the presence of adequate free chlorine and pH values.
  
• Check chemical controller, dosing pump operations and dosing tank levels and adjust if necessary. 
  
• Check the operation of the filters and vent air as necessary, circulation pumps and air bleeds. 
  
• Visually check the pool - particularly for algae in dead spots and corners. Continue with pool bottom cleaning on a weekly basis as the closure may extend into summer and algae present a seasonal threat.
  
• If algae is present, consider superchlorinating.

Monthly

• Backwash media bed filters.
  
• Normal routine maintenance.
  

We also advise that pool closure is a good opportunity for planned maintenance works and cleaning activities, such as balance tank cleaning, transfer channel superchlorination, pool filter inspections and cleaning under moveable floors.

Stopping circulation

This option is favourable if energy consumption or resource is a major concern during the pool closure period.

• Superchlorinate to 20mg/l at pH 7.2-7.4 
  
• Turn off automatic chemical dosing and pool circulation 
  
• Reduce water and air temperatures etc as in one above
  
• Check chemical readings and pH weekly.
  
• To reduce stagnation/dead areas, circulation pumps and filters could be operated once a week for one turnover period.
  
• Consider use of (low energy) sump pumps in the pool tank to provide a degree of water movement

Emptying the pool?
PWTAG advises against emptying the pool to preserve its structural integrity, unless it is designed to be emptied on a regular basis and there are established procedures in place to achieve this safely.

Commercial Spa pools

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Soon to be released is a further publication in the series giving PWTAG guidance on pool technical operation following the Covid-19 shutdown - dealing with the subject of spa pools and hot tubs.

It will help your understanding of this guidance if you have read the publication Hot Tubs in Business Premises.

This note deals with the ongoing challenge of managing a spa pool or hot tub during a subsiding pandemic. It provides a framework of good practice, recommendations and alerts - to be adapted by pool managers and others to the specific requirements of their situation.
 
Safe aquatic physiotherapy practice - Covid-19 pandemic
The Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP) has released recommendations for safe aquatic physiotherapy practice in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. 
 
The recommendations are in accordance with Government, NHS, Public Health England (PHE), Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
 
These recommendations are made to minimise risk related to Covid-19 when providing aquatic physiotherapy in a hydrotherapy pool. The treatment of Covid-19 patients is not included within these recommendations.

This guidance is specifically for spa pools and hot tubs run either in a commercial or business setting.