Water Quality
The staff at Kimbolton School take a great pride in the quality of the pool water. The water is filtered 24 hours a day to ensure that the pool is clean and safe for everyone to use. The treatment of the water is achieved using a dual disinfection process incorporating UV and Sodium Hypochlorite.
The UV system means that Kimbolton School Swimming Pool can safely operate using substantially lower levels of chlorine which greatly improves the swimming experience. The UV not only kills all micro-organisms but eradicates all the products of chlorination used to disinfect the water. UV eradicates the odour usually associated with swimming pools and reduces the chemicals which cause eye and skin irritation.
Pollution and Hygiene
Sadly it is the swimmers themselves who are responsible for introducing pollutants into the pool water. A full (hair and body washed) pre-swim shower significantly reduces the level of pollutants and greatly decreases the amount of chemicals in the water.
Therefore, in order to reduce pollutants it is compulsory that people must a take a full shower before they swim. Available showers are sited en route to the pool. Swimmers not taking a full shower will not be allowed into the pool by the staff on duty.
All outside footwear is prohibited from the poolside. Overshoes are available at the spectator entrances to the poolside.
Maintaining Pool Water Quality
The pool plant equipment is regularly serviced and maintained to ensure the plant is keeping the water at the safe and most efficient level. Every day before swimmers use the pool the water is tested to ensure that it is safe to swim. Furthermore, staff maintain and test the water at least five times a day. The plant is adjusted by trained staff to ensure the water remains safe for swimmers. All the managers operating the swimming pool are fully trained Pool Plant Operators (PPO) who update their qualifications on a regular basis.
The pool pumps circulate the water 24 hours a day through high speed filters and the pool holds 300.00 m3 (65.9907gallons). It takes between three - fours hours for the entire volume of water to pass through the filters, disinfection plant and return to the pool.
Is the Water Warm?
The ‘Pool Water Treatment Group’ recommends that water for conventional pool temperature should be no less than 28 degrees centigrade. The pool water at Kimbolton is always maintained at 29.5 degrees centigrade. However, following certain essential procedures the water temperature may sometimes be slightly reduced. The poolside air is maintained at 30 degrees centigrade, a degree above the water temperature as recommended by PTAG. This ensures that swimmers are comfortable outside of the water.
Saving Energy
The swimming pool is the only building on the school campus that operates at high temperatures and humidity every day throughout the year. Heating the air and water is the major source of energy consumption and a costly business. The building and the water are heated using a biomass boiler system when runs on wood chip fuel. Previously the building was heated using oil this is now a secondary source of heat for emergencies when the biomass boiler has broken down or cannot supply enough heat to the building.
In order to conserve energy a cover is used to across the pool when the building is not in use, this allows the ventilation/heating system to operate at a reduced level not only saving money but also helping to protect the environment.
Further energy saving is carried out by a building management system that shuts down non-essential systems when the pool is not in use. The pool also has an inverter circulation pump system which is designed to save energy/costs when the pool is closed for swimming.