Disinfection and treatment of water in the pool:

Swimming for many people is not just a pleasant pastime, but also an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. And many owners of country houses equip their swimming pools. They allow you to enjoy a great pastime with family or friends, and also give you the opportunity to keep yourself in excellent physical shape. But the correct and regular care of the pool, including water treatment, plays an important role. It helps to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. But how should pool water be disinfected?

What are the methods of treating water in the pool?

There are 3 main methods of disinfecting pool water, including:

• reagent. It involves the use of special chemicals for disinfection.
• reagent-free. In this case, physical methods such as ultraviolet light or ultrasound are used for processing.
• combined. Here two methods (reagent and non-reagent) or two reagents are combined at once.

Each processing method has its pros and cons.

Reagent method: main features

Chlorine is considered the most popular, affordable and effective reagent for treating pool water. It is able to destroy most of the potentially dangerous bacteria, disinfecting both water and all surfaces with which it comes into contact at the same time. Chlorine is available in various forms. For large public pools, a gaseous or liquid form is sometimes used (it involves packaging in cylinders or, respectively, canisters), but such compositions are quite difficult to transport and accurately determine the dosage. An excellent alternative to them are compact tablets, for example, Sanilit from MDM Group. Among their advantages:

• complete solubility and high dissolution rate;
• affordable cost;
• ease of use;
• high antimicrobial activity - the product destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi.

However, it should be borne in mind that chlorine cannot cope with algae and fungal spores. Also, when using it, microbes get used to the dosages over time, which requires periodic shock treatment. In some categories of the population, chlorine provokes allergic reactions, as well as negative reactions from the mucous membranes and respiratory system (rarely).

As an alternative to chlorination, bromination can be performed (it is more expensive, not suitable for open water bodies), ozonation (the equipment for its implementation is very expensive), the use of active oxygen (it is not so effective), ionization (poorly combined with other methods of disinfection, and is also insufficiently studied in terms of its effect on the human body).

Reagent-free disinfection methods

The effect of chemicals on water and the human body stimulates the active search for safer disinfection solutions for the pool. The most popular reagent-free method is ultraviolet treatment, which provides:

• instant effect;
• no impact on water characteristics (properties and composition);
• effective destruction of pathogenic microorganisms;
• safety for people.

Despite all the advantages, ultraviolet treatment requires certain financial investments - the purchase of disinfection equipment. Also, this method does not remove organic matter and algae. And for a stable effect, the treatment must be carried out with a certain regularity.

As for ultrasound disinfection, this method is not widely used now due to its high cost.

Combined methods

Only a combined approach to pool cleaning can effectively eliminate pathogens and algae, prevent pool fouling and keep users healthy.

Most often, for an ideal result, the following are combined:

• ultraviolet treatment followed by chlorination;
• ozone and chlorine applications.

It is also recommended that owners equip their pool with a sand filter, which is capable of catching various large contaminants. Special supplements can also come to the rescue, including:

• flocculants for sticking small particles together;
• coagulants that cause the dirt to coagulate - it precipitates in flakes;
• algaecides - help to cope with algae and water blooms;
• acidity regulators to control the acid-base balance.

Disinfection of water in the pool is a complex task that requires a responsible approach. The owner has to stock up on a set of products to maintain perfect purity and safety of water.