Swimming pool water checks – how to demonstrate regulatory compliance

Operators in the recreational water sector know that the penalties for breaching regulations can be severe. A UK swimming pool operator was shut down permanently by its local authority after swimmers contracted giardiasis, an infection of the small intestine: its owner was prosecuted and fined under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

In another recent case, a UK operator’s swimming pool was closed after the discovery of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water supplies to the building. In the UK, there are no specific health and safety laws for swimming pool water safety. However, operators in the recreational water sector must comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the associated regulations.

But wherever they are based, operators must carry out regular swimming pool water checks with accurate, reliable equipment in order to protect public health and comply with the law.

It is also important that they are able to demonstrate compliance to the authorities, and keep an accurate record of the results of swimming pool water checks. This will support the operator when they are audited or inspected by a regulatory authority.

Demonstrating compliance can be a challenging process for a number of reasons:

• If test results are recorded manually on paper sheets, or on spreadsheets, errors can be made – leading to an inaccurate picture of water quality. Operators may notice inconsistencies in results, particularly if swimming pool water checks are the responsibility of a number of different staff members (which may be the case in large leisure operators).

• Levels of training and competency may vary among staff members, which again can lead to errors in reporting.

• Manual recording of test results is also time-consuming, and takes skilled staff away from their core duties.

• Collating and analysing data from disparate sources of test results can be a complex, time-sapping and resource-draining process, especially if an operator is managing multiple facilities.

What is the most effective way of storing and managing data from swimming pool water checks?

Palintest Connect is the solution developed by Palintest to address the challenges above.

This cloud-based data management software links to our swimming pool testing instruments including Lumiso Pooltest Expert, our revolutionary waterproof multi-parameter benchtop photometer; and our waterproof handheld photometers including Lumiso Pooltest 3, which is used to test for chlorine, pH and cyanuric acid; Lumiso Pooltest 4, which is used to test for alkalinity, bromine, chlorine and pH; and Lumiso Pooltest 6, which enables a complete water balance calculation.

Palintest Connect automatically creates an auditable data log when a user is uploading data from swimming pool water checks using the Lumiso instruments. The results data is fully traceable and is stored on a secure database for eight years, enabling operators to easily demonstrate compliance to regulatory authorities.

In addition, the software interface allows operators to upload, view and manage data on water quality easily: this can reduce amount of time and resources dedicated to recording data and data management.

And by using Lumiso products with Palintest Connect, operators can eliminate the need for the manual recording of data on paper logs, further freeing up staff resources and reducing the risk of human error.

For more information on how Palintest can support you in demonstrating regulatory compliance, and making data management more efficient through Palintest Connect, contact Sales@palintest.com