Take a Deep Breath: Handling the Challenges of Air Quality in Indoor Aquatic Facilities

By Chris Farlow, CPO Advisory Council Member

The pool industry is seeing more indoor facilities being built than ever before. Being able to provide a consistent pleasant atmosphere year-round allows businesses to extend their season and increase capture on days where rain or foul weather may have forced closure in the past.

However, indoor facilities bring new challenges for pool operators, the biggest being how to keep the air healthy and comfortable for the guest. To accomplish this, we need to look at ways to manage the disinfection by-products (DBPs) that are created during normal pool use. These by-products can cause eye and respiratory irritation. While we can never completely eliminate DBPs, we can minimize the guest impact by using a three-step approach.

Step 1: Clean Swimmers

Reducing the amount of disinfectant needed to maintain a safe pool is a great way to help keep the formation of DBPs low. While requiring every swimmer to shower before swimming may not be realistic, having a clean, well-stocked, and inviting shower and changing room along with signage can help increase the number of guests that do. A similar approach should be taken for restroom facilities. Having a well-marked and conveniently located restroom along with space for a diaper changing station can help reduce waste in the pool and potential downtime caused by fecal releases. In addition, having swim diapers available for guests is a best practice, as regular diapers do not offer enough containment of waste after they become saturated with water.

Step 2: Clean Water

Always making sure we have enough residual disinfectant in a pool is a key role of a pool operator. For an indoor environment, keeping that level as low as possible while still being safe for swimmers can help reduce the DBP formation and improve air quality. Automated chemical controllers combined with a routine of frequent water testing to calibrate can help achieve this. Having a secondary disinfection method (such as ultraviolet chambers or ozone injection) have, in some studies, helped reduce DBPs present in the water, as well as provided additional disinfection for the pool. Water replacement can also be helpful, providing that it does not already contain undesirable levels of DBPs. Note: Stabilized disinfectants should not be used in an indoor facility.

Step 3: Clean Air

Designers of air handling systems should make sure that the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 of 4-6 air changes per hour is being met. Keeping an air handling system in working order requires periodic maintenance. Filters should be changed or cleaned before they start reducing the flow of air through the unit. The intake and exhaust grate should also be monitored for buildup and cleaned as needed to prevent obstructing air flow. A thorough inspection and service of any valves, actuators, motors, and bearings will help operators take a proactive approach toward fixing problems before they start to have a negative impact on air quality. For pool rooms with large open ceilings, large destratification fans can help circulate warmer, potentially less contaminated air down to the pool deck.

While having an indoor facility will require more maintenance and planning, they are a great way to ensure a consistent experience for guests. Reducing exposure to disinfection by-products to allow swimmers and spectators to participate without experiencing irritation and discomfort needs to be a primary focus for those operating an indoor aquatic facility.