Water treatment method may end swimmer red-eye

A unique high-tech salt water chlorination system developed in Dubai, which could banish swimmers' red eyes, may soon be exported and marketed in the UK. Compass Leisure Products, part of the MKM group, has revealed it is talking with a major UK group to market its Aquaclear system in Britain.

Aquaclear was developed by Compass in Dubai at a cost of Dh500,000 using UK microprocessor control technology. "But in a strange turn of events, we could soon be selling the technology back to Britain," Compass Technical Manager Phil Jones said.

Aquaclear, which uses ordinary salt as a feedstock, is a high-tech solution to keeping pools safe and sparkling and bathers free from the harmful effects of chlorine by-products, viruses and bacteria. "Using salt as a feedstock, Aquaclear is really a miniaturised producer of chlorine which uniquely does not require the use of hazardous chlorine chemicals," Jones said.

"The system, which can be rented and installed in pump rooms, is a gentler way of introducing chlorine to swimming pools than the usual manual or pump delivery. "And because it concentrates the chlorine effect within the system, pools don't need to be shock-dosed. This means they won't need to be closed, and build up of by-products is eliminated, resulting in significant water saving.

"Another key bonus is the fact that the system does away with the need to store large amounts of chlorine or risk its handling by staff. "Aquaclear is aimed at medium to large pools with the swimming pool at the Wafi residence in Dubai serving as a showcase test-bed.

"The Aquaclear at Wafi takes care of the complete sanitisation requirement without any ancillary equipment, other than normal filtration, and as such, is the largest pool (350,000 gallons) in the world featuring salt water chlorination," Jones said.

Following the rigorous development and proving trials at Wafi, the system has now been taken up by the J.W. Marriott Hotel Group, the Rydges Plaza Hotel in Dubai and most recently the Dubai Country Club.

Aquaclear works by initially adding a low concentration of ordinary salt to the pool water. "This in itself is beneficial as it is more compatible with the skin and eyes of bathers," Jones said. "Ultimately it means that bathers will no longer suffer from the painful "red eye" condition experienced in heavily chlorinated pools."

Aquaclear monitors the pool water conditions and dissolved chlorine requirement is automatically and safely provided by electrolysis of the low level of salt in the water, using compact, high efficiency cells.

"In addition to the necessary chlorine production, small amounts of oxygen and ozone are produced, leading to a marked improvement in water clarity and sparkle," said Jones. "An unexpected Aquaclear bonus is that the added salt is not actually consumed. As the chlorine produced destroys bacteria, viruses and algae, it reverts back to salt again and the cycle repeats, maintaining a constant salt level."

Jones said that chlorine remains the most effective agent for preventing the growth and spread of dangerous pathogens in pool waters. "Transmission of bacteria and viruses can be accelerated in swimming pools given the warm conditions and full body immersion in the water. It is therefore essential that the water is not only sterilised, but that a residual level of disinfecting agent remains in the water at all times," said Jones.

The addition of chlorine is the only effective way to ensure this, particularly in pools with a moderate to heavy bather load, regardless of whether ozone, UV, or other technologies are used for water treatment.

"The increasing success of Aquaclear, and the recent interest from the UK, is because it provides safe and attractive bathing water sanitised with chlorine, automatically, and without the associated unpleasant side effects," said Jones.