Amount of chlorine in swimming pools

[rescuer]

Can anyone tell me what amount of chlorine should be used in swimming pools. The pool I use (part of a national fitness organisation) is causing skin irritation and eye problems for some.
I feel that those "in charge" of the pool water are inexperienced and have not been trained correctly. Before challenging the management I need to be sure of my facts.

[bazan]

the chlorine level in a domestic pool should be 1:1.5ppm but may be higher in a commercial pool. You could go to your local swimming pool dealer (or internet) and buy a bottle of test strips (cost about �10 for 50). You just dip one in the pool water and check the level agains the chart on the bottle. This will give you the chlorine reading and also the ph level of the water. It may not be the chlorine that is causing the problem, if the ph is not between 7.2 and 7.4 on the scale that could be the problem. Sometimes you will get a smell of chlorine when there is none in the water - I think this is caused by a bacteria. Your pool managers should check the readings several times a day but they will be using digital technology costing several hundred pounds. You could ask to see the records of the readings. You could also take a sample of water and have it privately analysed. Most commercial outfits would do this periodically to conform with health and safety.

Hope this helps a bit.

[rescuer]

Interesting, bazan.
The water is checked by the lifeguards who are around the 19-20 mark but not very bright.
Today the young lady on duty said it was 2.5 and said that was the required figure although she referred to people complaining about the water affecting their eyes.
For some months the water was not 'crystal clear' as over many years of swimming and examining for RLSS I always found pools to be so.
I am tempted to contact the head office of the organisation though this would put me at odds with local management.

[bazan]

ok - so water cloudy suggests ph is out. Can you get a ph reading? Going to HQ will not help, they will not know, they rely on on-site people. If the youngsters are doing the readings may be better to speak to the maintenance man who looks after the plant room? Have they got an automatic dosing system? This could have gone wrong and be putting the wrong dosage in, it does happen.

[rescuer]

Maintenance man ????? They don't have one!
I have asked a friend who has good contact with the local council baths department to ask there for me.
All being well he should get an answer tomorrow which I will put on the site.
Thanks for your interest.

[bazan]

will look tomorrow evening with interest.

[rescuer]

Well.bazan, my friend checked at a Council pool where he knows the staff and they said 1.5.
The local environmental people visited the pool I visit but I think, from what they said, that they only looked at the paper records for the pool. Hardly a correct check.
I have decided to confront local management tomorrow or Friday.
I bought Speedo white trunks a couple of weeks ago - not cheap - and they are turning yellow in parts (not because of what a joker woman regular swimmer suggested !!!).

[bazan]

ok rescuer. Let me know what happens. You are right with the paper records check - a lot of leisure centres just fill in the records without actually checking the water.

[rescuer]

Sorry for the delay in replying,bazan.
I have returned the trunks to Speedo for their comment.
I had a meeting with the manageress last week. A very agressive attitude on her part. The trunks met "well I don't know where you have had them." from her.
She claims that their records show things to be OK.
I am not going to swim all March. Already there is an improvement in my skin.
Some eight months ago I handed her a copy of an article in a newspaper about ions for water cleaning. She said she had sent it to Head Office who were not interested claiming that the pool would have to close for 6 weeks to change over. Poolsan, the firm selling this system tell me it only needs 2 to 3 days to change over.
You may find it of interest to visit the Poolsan site. It sounds good to me and many ladies would be pleased because, whilst chlorine can turn hair green they say this does not.