Many contaminants can not be seen or tasted in the water, so the only way to really make sure your water is safe is to test it.
Why should I do a test?
Even if the presence of a particular contaminant is obvious, especially in the case of the reddish spots left on devices bt the water containing iron, by having your water tested you will be able to quantify the problem and make an easier choice regarding the best water treatment possible.
Is there a time and a place to test your water?
To be honest… all the time. You never know when the quality of your water can change.
Bacteria you can find
- Coliformes totaux et bactéries atypiques
- Coliformes fécaux (E. Coli)
- Streptocoques fécaux et entérocoques
- BHAA (Bactéries Hétérotrophes Aérobies et Anaérobies)
Water quality
Information taken from the Lifesaving Society website.
The person responsible* for the pool/spa must ensure a vigilant supervision of the parameters of bathing water quality in order to ensure bathers security and comfort. The person responsible for the pool/spa and the safety supervisors must be aware of the water quality parameters during opening hours in order to react properly if a non-compliance situation arises. Water samples results must be registered in an Information Record available to facility patrons. The person responsible for the pool/spa must develop a facility’s operations handbook and make it available to staff members.
Non-compliance situations
The person in charge of the pool/spa must immediately evacuate bathers and close access to the pool, if:
- the water clarity doesn’t allow to see the 150 millimeters in diameter black disc in the deep area of the pool (no buffer zone accepted) or if turbidity is higher than 5 NTU;
- there is a fecal or vomit accident in the water;
- a safety check is required;
- there is a hazard caused by the presence of dangerous substances in the water or on deck;
- there is a hazard due to any other circumstances threatening bathers safety;
- there is a breakdown of water treatment equipments (overheating engines, filtration breakeage, broken feed pump, etc.);
- the parameters are as follows:
- the residual of free available chlorine is higher than 5.0 mg/L or
- chloramines is higher than 1.0 mg/L during more than 24 hours or
- the residual of free available chlorine is lower than 0.3 mg/L or
- total bromine residual is lower than 0.6 mg/L
- 24 hours after the first microbiological tests was collected, the second testing is still not in compliance (Reference: section 5 of Regulation respecting water quality in swimming pools and other artificial pools).
For all shutdown reasons described above, appropriate corrective measures must be taken and supplementary testing must be done prior to reopening the pool to patrons.
Since basic notions on pool water quality are part of the National Lifeguard training, in cases where safety supervisors are also responsible for pool water quality management, we recommend that these people receive appropriate training.
* The person responsible for the pool means the owner or operator of a swimming pool.
Every aquatic facility or spa should count with a professional Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) certified pool/spa operator, do you have one?
A.S.I. Aquatic Expert offers the CPO course with our CPO Certified Instructor and Technician J.-P. Lajoie.