UK’s first leisure centre to use UV upgrades its water treatment system – with Hanovia UV!
Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter sticks with Hanovia UV after 16 years of successful operation
Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter was the first leisure centre in the UK to install a UV system to treat its pool water. That was back in 1994, when the centre had just undergone a complete refurbishment and a Hanovia UV system was chosen to replace ozone (following a period when only sodium hypochlorite was used).
The Hanovia system performed so well for the subsequent 16 years, and was still performing well when the time came for an upgrade in 2010. An upgrade was only necessary because parts for the old UV unit were no longer available, but the centre, operated by Parkwood Community Leisure on behalf of Exeter City Council, didn’t think twice about replacing it with another Hanovia system.
The new Hanovia UV system at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter
Photo 1: http://www.halmapr.com/hanovia/Riverside_4144.jpg (1 MB)
(Photo caption: The new Hanovia UV system at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter)
Commenting on the Hanovia system, Centre Manager Phil Roebuck said, “I’m really happy with the performance of the unit. We only add between 0.5 and 1.5ppm chlorine for residual disinfection, depending on how busy the pool is. The pool water is much clearer than if we were using chlorine on its own. Also, because UV destroys any combined chlorines produced by the residual chlorination, the atmosphere around the pool is very pleasant, with none of the unwelcome smells or eye irritations normally associated with indoor pools. We never have any complaints about the water or air quality, and as far as I’m concerned, no news is good news.”
The original Hanovia UV system at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter, picture taken 15 years ago
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(Photo caption: The original Hanovia UV system at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter, picture taken 15 years ago)
Jeremy Wright, Parkwood Community Leisure’s General Manager for the Exeter contract, was also very complimentary about the Hanovia system: “This is a really good system and we are very pleased to be able to guarantee the highest standards of water for all our customers. I can also confirm that we often get complimentary remarks from pool users about the quality of the water and air around the pool.”
Phil Roebuck added: “The fact that we have all these benefits without staff having to constantly monitor the system is also a major advantage. They all have other duties, so knowing that they can rely on the system to work away in the background is reassuring. A member of staff simply checks the Hanovia system’s control panel once a day and logs the parameters to record usage and condition – that’s it.”
The replacement UV unit installed at Riverside is used for the main leisure pool and treats up to 280 m3/hour. Automatic wipers keep the quartz sleeve housing the UV lamp clean, so the only regular maintenance is an annual service at which the UV lamp is changed – a simple operation that is carried out by on-site staff. A smaller Hanovia UV system is also used to treat water in the learner pool.
The main swimming pool at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter
Photo 3: http://www.halmapr.com/hanovia/Riverside_4165.jpg (1.1 MB)
(Photo caption: The main swimming pool at Riverside leisure Centre in Exeter)
Exceeded all expectations
During its time, the original Hanovia unit exceeded all expectations in its ability to control combined chlorine and it wasn’t long after the initial installation at Riverside before more UK leisure centres opted for Hanovia’s UV technology.
In the relatively short time since those early installations, UV has become the preferred water treatment method for public and commercial indoor pools in the UK. It is also supplied for many pool refurbishments – the compact design of UV systems making this a relatively simple upgrade. Since 1994 Hanovia has supplied well over 600 UV systems to the UK pool market, as well as many hundreds overseas.
Combined chlorines
Combined chlorines, also known as chloramines, are formed when free chlorine reacts with sweat or urine in pool water. Trichloramines in particular are powerful irritants which are responsible for eye and respiratory complaints and the unpleasant ‘chlorine smell’ commonly associated with indoor pools. Any water treatment system that reduces reliance on chlorine is therefore welcome.
UV not only destroys chloramines, but is also a highly effective disinfectant in its own right, which means pool operators can drastically reduce chlorine usage. Virtually no microorganisms are immune to UV, even chlorine-resistant pathogens. Another major benefit of UV is that it significantly reduces the need for backwashing and dilution, saving hundreds of pounds a month for pool operators.
A typical UV system consists of a UV lamp in a protective quartz sleeve which is mounted within a cylindrical stainless steel chamber. The water to be treated enters at one end and passes along the entire length of the chamber before exiting at the other end, receiving a dose of UV energy along the way.
