By Brady Lang

Pool foulings a tough duty for those behind the scenes

Jul 17, 2018 | 12:00 PM

It may be a joke to some, but pool foulings are no laughing matter when it comes to the work surrounding the issue.

Although many of the foulings happen by accident, there’s a process in place that staff must follow when someone relieves themselves in a pool. Jodi Hargreaves, CUplex Manager, knows this and has seen it firsthand. She told battlefordsNOW the process which follows.

“The lifeguards have to notify each other, and then we have to notify the supervisors and then immediately clear that area, if not the whole pool,” she said. “From that point, there needs to be a disinfection process that goes on. For instance, if it’s in the wave pool, then they have to clear the wave pool and everyone has to go to the hot tub or the large pool.”

The disinfectant process takes a lot longer than most would think, Hargreaves said.

“We have to put in a large amount of bleach into the pool. They have to find wherever the fouling is, if we’re able to do that,” Hargreaves said. “Sometimes we’re not able to, so that requires a longer amount of time. If we’re able to find the fouling, then it’s a process of disinfecting, spot disinfecting, vacuuming, and waiting for the allotted time which is usually 20 minutes to half an hour.”

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 2

6h ago

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 1

Apr 18, 2024

Trades in Sask.

Skilled trades need not limited to building homes

Apr 17, 2024

The process takes a while, she said, and, unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon.

“Maybe once a week, maybe less often,” she said. “It depends who is in the pool.”

It’s the lifeguards responsibility to make sure these things don’t happen, she said, or to minimize the potential. She said there are some steps which can be taken to prevent a smelly situation.

“The biggest thing is prevention,” she said. “Talking to parents and keeping people educated to use the bathroom before you go into the pool, change diapers, use swim diapers. There are adult swim diapers; we encourage people to use those products.”

She said the public isn’t very understanding when it comes to the issue of pool foulings, as most aren’t educated about how much work is involved for those behind the scenes at pools and water parks.

“After a fouling, it’s really important that our public have some understanding that we are following the necessary steps and procedures that we have to to keep the water safe and clean,” Hargreaves said. “Without those steps, we wouldn’t be able to provide the services we do. It wouldn’t be acceptable to public health. Be patient with us; we have to follow those steps. We don’t like it any more than anybody else does.”

brady.lang@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @BradyLangCJNB