Quality of water in Helsinki’s indoor swimming pools is generally good

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The samples taken in Helsinki’s large public swimming pools last week indicated that the microbiological quality of the water in the Töölö, Itäkeskus, and Mäkelänrinne swimming pools was mainly good.
     
As for the general level of hygiene of the water, at the Mäkelänrinne swimming centre one of the values set for the quality of the water exceeded the microbiological limit value, while the quantity of free chlorine was found to be too low.
      ”The deviation is not significant and does not pose any risk to anybody’s health”, said chemist Kirsti Nikkola from Metropolilab, who analysed the results.
      A new sample taken on Friday showed that all values were good.
     
The presence of urea in the water can be explained by the fact that swimmers occasionally sweat and urinate in the pool.
      Swimmers frequently dip into the cold plunge-pool straight after sauna, when there is sweat on the surface of the skin.
      When it comes to exceeding the microbiological limit values, the Töölö swimming hall tops the list. Almost all urea observations have been made in the cold pools.
      ”In such a small pool with only 1.5 cubic metres of cold water, it is difficult to keep the chlorine values sufficiently high. When one swimmer goes straight from sauna into a pool, even though it is prohibited, it is self-evident that the values go up rapidly”, notes hall manager Raimo Laasonen from the Töölö swimming hall.
     
In last year’s measurements, the acceptable concentrations of urea were exceeded four times in the Itäkeskus swimming hall, three times in the Töölö swimming hall, and once in the Helsinki Sports Hall on Helsinginkatu 25.
      ”It is entirely a matter of chance whether or not urea is present in a sample. However, a high concentration of urea is a sign of unsatisactory cleaning or insufficient substitutive water supplies”, said health inspector Tiina Hakkarainen from the Helsinki Environment Centre.
      Urea can be decomposed by activated carbon filters, chlorine, or ozone.
      The water in swimming pools is circulated through filters every six hours. The water is changed entirely once a year.
     
The Helsinki Environment Centre monitors the water quality in all Helsinki’s public swimming pools at least four times every year. However, the water in the most frequently visited pools, including Mäkelänrinne and Töölö, is tested twice a month.
      The physical and chemical quality of the swimming pool water is assessed by measuring the amounts of bacteria, urea, and the free and combined chlorine, as well as the pH value, and the cloudiness. The results are public and can be found on the bulletin boards of swimming halls.
      Anatoli Bessonov, who swims in the Itäkeskus swimming pool twice a week, has been satisfied with the quality of the pool water.
      Laura Konttinen, who was swimming with her child Jonni Levander, said that she has occasionally thought about the hygiene of the water, even though she has never bumped into any problems.
      ”At least this is cleaner than the sea water”, Konttinen noted.
     
The water quality in all Helsinki’s public swimming pools is monitored in compliance with special legislation issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
      In addition to official monitoring, all swimming pools have their own pool-specific monitoring programmes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  All nationalities welcome during “Muslims-only” hours at Helsinki public swimming pools (22.6.2009)

Links:
  City of Helsinki Environment Centre: Indoor swimming pools

Helsingin Sanomat