IN MY VIEW
The Domestic Pools Of The Future
With constant warnings of climate change and a shortage of water a real possibility in the years ahead, independent consultant and Chairman of SPATA’s Technical Committee Peter Lang gives his view of what the typical domestic pool may be like in the future
W
henever the summer season draws to a close, one wonders what the weather will be like in the years ahead and if one is in
any way involved in the swimming pool industry that includes the question “will there be a hose pipe ban?” With the constant talk of “global warming” there are many pundits saying “water is going to be the biggest problem in the future” – drinking water of course. But what would happen if the UK had to deal with some of the issues being faced by pool industry colleagues in other parts of the world, such as some parts of America and Australia? With water shortages in this country over the last ten to 15 years, the industry has come up with several suggestions to keep domestic swimming pools full of water. The use of cartridge filters, rainwater harvesting, extending backwash periods, recycling backwash water are just some examples, but will there ever come a time when more stringent laws and regulations will make us have to think “out of the box” or “think laterally”? Will swimming pools respond by having standard pool depths to be a constant figure of, say, one metre, to save water and reduce running costs? Will pool companies emptying pools be obliged by law to re-use the water, by storing it in temporary holding tanks (such as inflatable pools)? Already the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 state that swimming pools must not leak. If all pipes and punctures in the shell have to be accessible so that any
inspection can check the pool properly and regularly, should the pool shell be built out of the ground with the plant more easily accessible underneath? If something like this did happen, would this: make liner pools impossible to install correctly; concrete pools too costly due to the supports that would be required; and could this make one-piece GRP or stainless steel pools more often the norm? Energy saving requirements may well mean that in the near future, all pools (irrespective of whether they are indoor or outdoor) will have to be insulated, but will this extend to heating? Will there be strict controls on maximum water temperatures? Will heat pumps, solar systems and other renewable technologies be the only means of heating a pool that would be allowed by law? Equally, will pumps have to be electronically controlled by energy input to maximise efficiency, as well as reducing energy consumption? Will all pools have to have a bank of photovoltaic cells to power the plant? Will all pools be required to have cartridge filtration to reduce water wastage? Or will
going to be the biggest problem in the future’ – drinking water of course. But what would happen if the UK had to deal with some of the issues being faced by pool industry colleagues in other parts of the world”
88 October 2015 SPN
With the constant talk of ‘global warming’ there are many pundits saying ‘water is
pools have some new media other than sand and cartridge, in order to improve the water quality and to reduce the use of chemical additions to the pool water? Will other water savings products, such as rotating centrifuges, already on the market be mandatory in the next decade, or so? Will we ever see swimming pool water treatment being moved from a primary sanistiser such as chlorine or bromine to other treatments? Will there still be a requirement for treatments such as UV and / or Ozone? If that is the case, will the swimming time have to be amended and be strictly regulated to reduce pollution and increase UV time? Will all pools have to have a sheet cover to black out the pool to prevent the build-up of algae?
So what could a typical domestic pool be like in 2030?
It would be a double skin GRP/ceramic structure with insulation between the two skins. It would be suspended above the ground by a minimum of one metre for inspection purposes. It would have a constant depth of one metre and be no greater that 10 by 5 metres in plan.
It would have a turnover of eight hours, have only 2” pipework, or greater, to reduce head loss and improve circulation flow reducing energy and chemicals used. The pool would be filtered by cartridge, heated by solar and powered by photovoltaic cells. The pool can only be used twice a day for a period of one hour. When not in use, the cover must be on. Access is by ladder, hoist, lift or even out of a first floor window of the adjacent property (if the pool was close enough)! Is this scenario likely, or is it all ridiculous? Who knows for now, but 2030 is only 15 years away!
PETER LANG
Peter is an independent consultant and SPATA’s Technical Adviser. He is a SPATA Inspector and Chairman of SPATA’s Technical Committee
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
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