Final Year B Arch - Environmental Services

Swimming Pools
Swimming pools are designed with following services in mind
1) Filtration plant
2) Lighting
3) Changing rooms and toilets
Types of pools and facilities expected.
1 Domestic pools are designed for farmhouses, bungalow or as personal
pools. These may be large or small in size, indoor or outdoor and may have or
may not have separate changing rooms. Pool lighting may be underwater or
above water depending on size. All pools should have filtration plant.
2 Private pools are designed for Clubhouses, hotels, societies, and are
used only by members. These may or may not be in free shape, should have
changing rooms for both sexes and may be accompanied by such systems as
bar, snack counter, sauna, steam bath etc. These should have underwater
lighting and filtration plant.
3 Public pools are designed for public bodies that make available
swimming facility to people at large at a very nominal price. The pools in theme
parks and water parks are also public pools.
The public swimming pools should have elaborate changing rooms,
should have underwater lighting and filtration facility.
The public pools in theme parks and water parks should have elaborate
changing rooms and filtration plant. The water parks and theme parks may or
may not have underwater lighting.
Pools that do not have filtration facilities tend to be unhygienic and
can be a source of deceases. Such pools may be filled and emptied after use.
The loss of water in this case is very heavy.
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Design
Swimming pools get designed for number of bathers. The area of pool should be
@ 3 sm per bather. This can be further reduced to 2.2 to 2.7 meters for a depth
of 1 to 1.5 meters. However the area should be @ 4 sm for depth more than 1.5
meters.
Depth of pool shall be 1.8 meters throughout for racing pools and should have
dimensions etc according to FINA standards. The dimensions need to be very
accurate with lanes properly laid out. There should be provision for touch pads
etc.
The diving pools have a depth of 5 meters with a proper diving board.
The pools can also be general-purpose swimming pools if the depth varies from
0.6 meters to 1.8 meters.
Toddlers pools of .5 meter depth may be provided for the purpose of keeping the
main pool free for swimmers.
Normally the filtration of pool should be designed for public pools with 6 to 8
hours of filtration duration. The enclosed pools can have 10 hours of filtration
period. Pools with dusty climatic conditions should have 6 hours of filtration cycle.
The landing pools at water parks should have 2-4 hours of filtration period as
slides etc also collect dust and the dress code for users is not very strict.
Filtration design: The overflow of water must be from the top surface as this
removes most of the dust and floating matter. The overflow can be arranged by
three methods. These are
1 Scum Gutters: These are constructed on side walls and slope toward the
balancing tank. These provide freeboard of 45 cm. for the pool. These also act as
handrail for people to stand in water. Generally all large pools have overflow
scum gutters system. These also provide for spitting etc.
2 Skimmers are boxes provided in the swimming pool walls. These are local
collector and can be opened from top for periodical cleaning. These are made of
plastic. Handrails must be provided in these cases at points in the swimming
pools. This system is used mainly for private pools, smaller pools and shallow
pools. These also provide a freeboard of 15 to 25 cm.
3 Total overflow system: This system has a trough running all around the pool
and the water remains filled till the brim. The trough is open from top and is
covered with interlocking plastic grating which allow users to trade over but also
allow water to get into the trough. The tiles of the grating walls are laid in one
level and slope towards the pool to give a uniform overflow of water. This helps in
avoiding pockets that remain stagnant and do not get drained.
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Balancing tank: Generally all large and medium pools are provided with
balancing tanks.
This tank receives all over-flow and is deeper than the pool itself. This helps in
draining the pool totally. The valve connecting the pool and the tank must be
operable from the deck surface.
Balancing tank acts as water storage tank, is helpful in adding fresh water and
chemicals, and helps in draining the pool.
The balancing tank has a capacity of 8 to 10 % of the swimming pool itself and
must be provided with manhole cover, rungs or ladder.
The water is strained thru' leaf hair strainer before the suction of the pump. There
is a strainer basket that can be opened and cleaned easily. Self-priming pumps
or submersible pumps are used for lifting water from balancing tank. Alum
solution is slowly introduced in the water in balancing tank If water is clean, alum
can be avoided.
Disinfecting chemicals can be added. These are gaseous, powder form, liquids
or tablets. The gas can be chlorine. It remains in water for a longer period and is
a powerful disinfectant. O3 is considered less damaging. as it evaporates very
fast. Chlorine being very corrosive in nature, it should be used after filtration. Use
of chlorine can be reduced by using Ozoniser.
UV rays can be used as disinfectant. The effect is temporary and any
subsequent infections remain untreated.
Filtration plant is generally provided after chemical dosing. The filtration plants
are pressure filters. These contain graded sand. These are shells of mild steel
with layers of corrosion resistant materials like SS, Fiberglass or polymers. The
filter medium is smaller at the top and gradually increases in size towards the
bottom.
Pressure gauges are necessary at inlet and outlet point to determine if the filter
medium is chocked and a whether backwash is necessary. Sampling cocks are
provided a inlet and outlet.
The filters are back-washed once in every day to avoid chocking. Dirty backwash
is either discarded or is reused after settling. The filter medium will be changed
when necessary after few years.
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The treated water comes back to the pool through sur-flow nozzles at the bottom
of the pool. It can also come through side inlets at lower level. Care must be
taken to avoid short currents. The water can also come through cascades that
are aesthetically pleasing and add oxygen to water and make it fresh. The
bottom inlet trough must be provided with SS plates to facilitate cleaning of
channel.
Water heating facility can be provided for pools in cold climatic conditions. The
temperature of water in the pool should be at 25 O centigrade. Water heaters of
gas, electricity, solar heaters may be used.
Underwater lighting shall be used for pools for safety of bathers and clear
underwater vision in dark hours. The lamps are Plastic or metal body. 12 Volt
bulbs of various wattage are used. These are halogen lamps. These are safe and
can be easily replaced. Step down transformers are provided for this purpose.
The low voltage current makes heavy losses of electricity over even a sort
distance hence the system must be designed properly. Cables are run in
trenches and these must be made watertight.

Changing cubicles and toilets must be provided. These are generally separate
for both sexes in public and private swimming pools. Adequate number of
changing rooms, WCs, Urinals, wash basins and showers must be provided.
Foot bath should be provide where people enter the deck of a public swimming
pool.
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