The commissioning of a UV water treatment system at the Whakatāne Aquatic and Fitness Centre has seen immediate benefits for users and staff alike.

Whakatāne District Council Aquatics and Recreation Manager Garner Gulliver says that since the new system was introduced on 24 August, there has been a noticeable improvement in air and water quality in the centre’s indoor facilities.

"UV treatment effectively deals with any microorganisms in the water and allows us to reduce the use of chlorine. The feedback from customers and staff is that the chlorine smell in the air has been virtually eliminated and we’ve had lots of comments about water quality too," he explains.

"Swimmers say the water feels ‘softer’ and that the stinging eyes and chlorine smell on your skin and togs is no longer a factor. Those observations tell us that our treatment system upgrade is achieving exactly what we were aiming for - a better experience for swimmers and a better work environment for staff."

Preparatory work for the new system was undertaken during last month's 'pre-spring clean' shut down, allowing the three UV units - one each for the toddlers pool, 25-metre pool and spa pools - to be installed and commissioned without affecting the centre's operations. The $120,000 upgrade also incorporated automated chlorine and acidity control, allowing quality factors to be constantly monitored and dosing adjusted immediately to maintain water quality at the desired level.

"Having a treatment system that matches the best industry standards does have other benefits too," Mr Gulliver says. "It's too early to accurately measure how our operating costs have been affected, but there has definitely been a reduction in the volume of fresh water we have to introduce and heat, so we are expecting to see savings in those costs."