Our first step in answering these questions is to find out just what the differences are between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. According to the Center of Disease Control, cleaning is the first and most important step in controlling the spread of germs. Sanitizing is one step above cleaning. In the sanitizing stage, you should be removing visible contamination and debris and reducing the bacteria and germs on a surface by at least 99.9%. And finally, disinfecting. This is the destruction of viruses and bacteria, making the surface highly unlikely to transmit infection or cause disease and killing pathogens by at least 99.999%. So a sanitizer’s pathogen destruction rate is increased by 1000 times that of a cleaner, and a disinfectant is increased by 100,000 times!
This implies that, to really ensure that your aquatic facility is safe and ready for swimmers, disinfectants have to be used in addition to sanitizers and cleaners. And because of that, we put together a step by step guide of how you should be implementing this disinfection process!
Step One: Products and Processes
In this first step, you have to figure out which products and processes will fulfill the level of pathogen destruction required by your local standards. You can use the EPA, CDC, or other regulatory agencies to confirm which products are effective against the germs and bacteria with the necessary reduction levels.
Step Two: Safety
Once you’ve got your list of products and processes that properly kill the pathogens, measure the safety levels for each one. You can do this by making sure that each product and process satisfies the below checklist:
- There is little to no environmental impact
- It is safe to use in abundance around humans
- Low toxicity levels, especially with long-term use
Step Three: Comparisons
After you’ve checked the safety, you can narrow your choices for products and processes to use at your club by asking and answering the following questions:
- Which one will work best for your club? Why?
- How available is the product to buy?
- Is it better to invest in a system where you can produce your own solutions, or should you continue to buy other products?
- Which is most cost effective?
Step Four: Promote
Now that you’ve got the best products and processes for your aquatic facility, it’s time to apply them and sell these new processes to your members. These people will most likely not notice a difference in your new processes and products, so letting them know that you’re taking extra steps to ensure their safety is a very good idea. This will show them just how serious you are and will make them feel safe to return to your club.
One way to promote your new disinfecting process is by posting signs and graphics around your club that explain the steps you are taking and some of the science and reasoning behind them. You can also use social media, like Facebook or Instagram, to show clients who might not have returned to your club all the ways you are making it safe for them to return. This will instill a confidence in you that you care about the customer and want them to feel as safe as possible whenever they do decide to return.
This is just a short guide on how to take the proper steps to ensure that your meeting the ever-changing guidelines on how to disinfect your pool to make sure it’s safe for swimmers to return. One money-saving, energy efficient way to do so is by investing in a BreatheTM EZ system from Truox. This system not only decreases pathogen concentration by over 10 times in the first day of implementation, but also eliminates the need for breakpoint chlorination, drastically improves water and air quality, and lowers chemical and energy costs. Along with the Activator and Oxidizer from Truox, this system will ensure that your aquatic facility is as safe as possible for when the swimmers start swimming again!