Our Ultra-Clean Water

by Big Blue Swim School

Maintaining a clean pool is always going to be a critical part of our operations, at Big Blue Swim School. Our water filtration and sanitization systems go beyond standard pool operation protocol when it comes to keeping our water ultra-clean for swim lessons.

Our award-winning water filtration system keeps our pool water clean, removing even the tiniest of unwanted particles. What exactly does that mean?

  • Our water filter removes particles down to 2 microns in size. For comparison, a grain of sand is about 100 microns, pollen is about 30-50 microns, red blood cells are about 8 microns, and bacteria is about 2 microns.
  • The pool water cycles through our filtration system 6-8 times a day to ensure we are constantly churning out clean water into our pools.

Not only does our water filtration system keep our pools pristinely clean, it is also environmentally friendly. It uses 50% less energy than traditional pool filtration systems.

After our water is filtered, it goes through an ultraviolet light (UV-C light, or germicidal light) sanitizer to kill any remaining bacteria and viruses.

  • Our UV-C lights target harmful bacteria and other microorganisms to alter their DNA / RNA so they can’t reproduce. Without the ability to reproduce, they die.
  • The UV-C light rays themselves are contained in the filtration system, so they aren’t harmful to any of our swimmers.

All pools must meet a certain chlorine or bromine standard as part of State and Federal pool cleanliness guidelines. We use chlorine in our pools to control the bacteria in the water until it gets back to the filter and reaches the UV-C lights. That said, UV-C lights kill chlorine byproducts (called chloramines), which is what causes stinging and strong smells in indoor pool areas. This process is what helps make our pools so kid friendly.

Example of a pump room (above) at one of our pools, which helps maintain our water and sanitation systems.

So in a nutshell, Big Blue uses top of the line water filtration and sanitation systems to keep our pools safe and clean, all while the use of chemicals that can irritate eyes and skin. This process is true regardless of whether it’s cold and flu season. After all, the safety and health of our families is a top priority for us!