After months of unexpected challenges and closures for pool operators, seeing swimmers enjoying the water again is a very welcome site. Now, it’s more important than ever to stay open and make sure you are running the most efficient operation to maximise profits and minimise risk. Here, Hannah Dyke, aquatics sales specialist at Evoqua Water Technologies, shares her top advice for an efficient, safe and cost-effective disinfection system.

As was the case for so many businesses, those in the aquatics sector faced a tough time during the height of the pandemic due to forced closures and subsequent restrictions on visitor numbers. Many operators extended the servicing and maintenance schedules of disinfection systems while they were navigating the wave of uncertainty, and some extended the life of assets as they experienced a freeze on capital expenditure. As we are now starting to experience some light at the end of the tunnel, the time has come to turn the focus from survive to thrive, make plans and ensure disinfection systems are delivering optimum performance and efficiency.                                                    

Disinfection systems sit at the heart of a swimming pool, keeping swimmers safe and ultimately, keeping a pool in business. It’s an area of the pool that can therefore have a significant impact on operational efficiency and costs. These are some of my top considerations for getting the most from your disinfection system.

• Consider whole life costs – don’t just get caught up on the capital expenditure of a disinfection system. Yes, it has to come in on budget for the project but what about your annual or five-year budget? Servicing and maintenance costs need to be factored in to keep the system operating at peak performance and there might be a requirement for the ongoing purchase of chemicals.
• Assess your energy consumption – as we all see the impact climate change is having on the environment and the net zero agenda is firmly in the spotlight as the UK hosts COP26, there has never been a more important time to ensure your operation is as energy efficient as possible. As well as reducing carbon emissions, you could also optimise your operating costs through better managing your energy spend.
• Maximise safety – it goes without saying that safety is the top priority with any disinfection system. Make sure you have a full understanding of what your system will guarantee in terms of disinfection performance. And, importantly, what needs to be done on an ongoing basis to maintain the safety and effectiveness of the system.
• Look at your total disinfection system – you will get the most out of your disinfection system if you look at it as the sum of all its part, not each element in isolation. For example, if you’re looking to save on energy consumption, don’t just focus on the UV system alone, look at your controllers as well. The same goes for optimising servicing and maintenance, can you tie all your system’s needs into one servicing package, with one provider to save you time and cost?

At Evoqua, we are continuing to innovate to help pool operators tick all of these boxes and find the right solution for their unique operation. Our Defender® FP-Series filtration system is the latest example of this. It’s an exciting new addition to the Evoqua regenerative media filter range and delivers significant operational savings. These include up to 90% less water wasted in backwashing, up to 50% less energy consumption and up to 30% less chemical usage.

Wherever you are in your disinfection system journey, be it planning a new site, carrying out a refurb or managing the day to day running of a system, these are steps everyone can take to make improvements, increase efficiency, manage costs and future-proof their operation. We all hope for a more settled and predictable period ahead of us, so don’t overlook the wider benefits you can reap from taking a broader look at disinfection for your swimming pool.

^{Defender is a trademark of Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, its subsidiaries or affiliates in some countries. The Defender is not, nor claims to be, a disinfection system.© 2021 Evoqua Water Technologies LLC}