All about Aquatics:
What’s in the Water?
By Becky Roberg, Community Relations Specialist
By Becky Roberg, Community
Relations Specialist
The calendar marks the start
of summer on June 21, but for the Montrose Recreation District summer begins
when the outdoor pool and slide and splash pad open for the season. Almost 400
people visit the pool daily, making it a landmark of community togetherness all
summer long. Accordingly, the Montrose Recreation District goes to great
lengths to ensure the safety and satisfaction of its patrons.
The Montrose Recreation
District has five full-time maintenance workers who all have aquatic
certifications. Each staff member holds either a Certified Pool Operators (CPO)
License or an Aquatic Facility Operators (AFO) License. Each certification
requires a training session and comprehensive test, which demands students
score at least 80% to pass. Between the maintenance staff alone, there is over
50 years experience in operating an aquatic facility.
“What’s different about our
pool, is that we dedicate full-time staff to checking and maintaining proper
levels in our water, instead of placing the responsibility on less experienced
workers,” explains Bob Cruz, Facility Operations Manager. “Our maintenance
staff is responsible for checking chemical levels at least twice a day. Our
pool manager and lifeguards are an added support because they also test every
few hours as a safeguard.”
The Montrose Recreation
District Aquatic Center has been free of serious contamination and illness
since its construction in 1987. This is due to the highly effective
chlorination system, which utilizes chlorine tablets. Although chlorine in the
gaseous form is the most effective at killing bacteria, it comes with dangerous
consequences.
“Gas chlorine can cause a lot
of hazards. There’s the risk of gas leaks which are dangerous to the
respiratory system and it will burn on contact,” explains Cruz. “We use the
next best thing – chlorine tablets.” By using chlorine tablets to sanitize pool
water the Montrose Recreation District maximizes sanitation and minimizes
danger.
The Montrose Recreation
District switched from gas chlorine to chlorine tablets in 2001. “I believe
we’ll eventually start using chlorine generation in the future,” says Cruz.
Chlorine generation uses regular table salt to sanitize the water. Although the
immediate overhead is costly, salt sanitation is extremely safe and gentle.
In addition to chlorination,
there is also a back up sanitation system that utilizes ozone. Ozone is a form
of oxygen that works in conjunction with the chlorination system. This allows
the Montrose Recreation District to use lower levels of chlorine while
maintaining a high level of sanitation. For patrons that means a weaker
chlorine smell, less harsh effects on skin and hair and overall fewer
irritants.
Added in the summer of 2006,
the Russell Stover Candyland Splash Pad uses an Ultra Violet Sanitation System
that is considered state of the art in the United States. Although common in
Europe, due it’s costliness UV sanitation is still rare in the states. However,
for the Montrose Recreation District, safety came before money. Their unique
system kills 99.9% of all disease causing bacteria. The Splash Pad was the
first certified splash pad built in Colorado and has been instrumental in
developing the requirements and guidelines for future facilities.
In addition to maintaining a
healthy chemical balance in the pool water, the Montrose Recreation District
also has an emergency response program that ensures staff is quick and
effective in controlling any type of contamination. The safety of the patrons
is put first and no one is allowed in the water if chemical levels are not safe
or if there has been an accident in the pool.
Many illnesses associated
with community swimming pools are the result of fecal contamination. However,
the constant monitoring, dual sanitation system and emergency response program
prevent this contamination from happening at the Montrose Aquatic Center. In
fact, most times people will leave the pool cleaner than when they came in.
For questions about the
sanitation and water at the Montrose Recreation District Aquatic Center,
contact Bob Cruz, 249-7831 x14.