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SPN JUN 2011 IndustryNews
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
hydrophobic catalytic active filter media called AFM which is certified by the UK Government and verified by independent consultants from the Water Industry.
The Dutch Olympic
swimming team get behind Dryden Aqua and AFM as the ‘best swimming pool they have experienced
AFM FILTER HAS REDUCED CHLORINE DEMAND BY 70% SAYS DRYDEN AQUA
Water treatment specialists Dryden Aqua has said its AFM Active Filter Media cannot be compared against the waste crushed glass option for use in pool filters.
The response follows a report in Swimming Pool News that PWTAG, which offers independent advice and guidelines on swimming pool water treatment, said it could find no evidence to support the use of glass filter media as an alternative to sand in filters.
Dr Howard Dryden from Dryden Aqua said: “Aqua AFM Active Filter
Media cannot be compared against a waste crushed glass. It would be like trying to make a comparison between activated carbon and anthracite; they are both made from carbon, chemically identical but with completely different filtration properties.”
Dr Howard Dryden completed PhD research on aluminosilcate zeolite sand for the ion exchange filtration of water. The research included changing the surface molecular structure of amorphous aluminiosilcates (glass) to make a
“Unfortunately PWTAG failed to make any distinction between a highly processed, tested and certified AFM and a basic waste crushed glass product, pool operators should be aware of the health and safety risks and conduct their own Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) risk assessment.
“One of the features of AFM as part of a properly integrated system is that we can almost eliminate the production of trichloramine.” He said that sand filtration systems are bio-mechanical and as such there will always be a cryptosporidium parasitic risk, or the potential for a Legionella incident. “More commonly it will be flu like infections such as Pontiac flu that will keep repeating among the pool staff and the public with problem pools. Dryden Aqua AFM as part of an Integrated Water Treatment System will eliminate the biohazard and make public pools a much safer place. Given the confirmed Legionella out-break in Dundee, March 2011, with 60 to 100 bathers contracting flu like symptoms, this simply exemplifies the need for bio- security in public pools and that the present guidelines are not working. “Given that there are no limits in
the UK (PWTAG are only guidelines not standards) it would seem reasonable to adopt the same position as most of Europe and comply with the DIN standards.” He said that 90% of the business of Dryden Aqua is with countries that operate in compliance to the German DIN standards.
“A case study on a large UK public pool upgraded by Dryden Aqua has been completed and a full report will soon be published. The data has been peer reviewed by an independent consultant from the German DIN industry standards committee and confirms we have reduced chlorine demand by 70%, eliminated trichloramines and reduced operating costs.”
PWTAG quotes from its 2009 book, Swimming Pool Water: treatment and quality standards for pools and spas.
“Recycled glass has been promoted as a superior alternative to sand. It seems to function perfectly well as a filter medium, but additional claims are made. It is claimed that biofilms form less readily on glass than on sand, and that irritant trichloramines form within these biofilms. PWTAG can find no peer-reviewed, published evidence for these claims.”
i FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
F DRYDEN AQUA ( 01875 822222 :
www.drydenaqua.com
SWIMMING POOLS MOVE OVER TO LEISURE MANAGEMENT CONTROL
A record number of local authorities are set to cut costs in 2011 and hand over the management of their swimming pools to independent specialist leisure companies. It is being seen as a key factor in keeping larger commercial pools open and satisfy the demands for cost cutting. Sports and Leisure Management, the Leicestershire-based leisure operator which trades under the Everyone Active brand, has set the standard for the sector with three local authority contracts from North Dorset District Council, London Borough of Sutton and Basildon Council to operate nine sports and leisure sites spread across the country.
Everyone Active took over operation of Blandford Leisure
Centre earlier this year while in Basildon the first phase of a two- phase contract got underway in March with its management of the Eversley Leisure Centre and swimming pools at Pitsea and Wickford. In addition, the company took over the management of the new, multi-million pound Basildon Sporting Village.
London Borough of Sutton will entrust the running of the Sutton Arena and the Phoenix, Cheam and Westcroft Leisure Centres into Everyone Active’s hands.
David Bibby, Managing Director of Everyone Active, said the three contracts reflected the fact that councils up and down the country are beginning to realise that
management specialists offer the best value solution to providing high-quality services that meet their
Basildon’s new Sporting Village pool
community’s leisure needs. It was, he said part of an important trend for local authorities.
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