Water Testing Technologies: Stepping Into the 21 st Century Ivars Jaunakais Ivars Jaunakais has a degree in Analytical Chemistry with a career in testing water quality parameters for over 40 years. Abstract Presentation will highlight the many technologies available in the pool testing market and how and why to implement them. Mr. Jaunakais will illustrate the importance of regular water quality testing and highlight the different test methods and equipment available. He will also introduce new time and cost saving methods available.
Today s Topics How Bluetooth changes the way you can use a Smart device How technology like GPS can be used for pool documentation About Bluetooth Smart Photometers and NSF Certifition How CDC s (Center for Disease Control) Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) and the NSF 50 and WQTD (Water Quality Test Device) performance certification can work for you How to verify your testing skills using Standards Benefits of Bluetooth Advanced technology becoming universally available in all aspects of life Allows the linking of electronic devices Requires no cable connection Immediate transmission of information Benefits of GPS (Global Positioning System) Global Positioning System is a constellation of 24 satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location. The location accuracy of GPS has improved that allows to determine within 10 meters your actual position
GPS Benefits of using GPS for Service or Inspection Improves use of time Allows optimum travel to destination Increases productivity Reduces pool liability issues Improves the bottom line Benefits of using Bluetooth with GPS Smart Phone (device) is best way to keep track of your Service or inspection visits GPS link in your Smart phone offers convenient way to travel to pool site Software can link GPS location of pool with pool water test results to confirm each time pool is tested (date, time, location) and with all smart device options such as comment, instant email at time of visit All can be effortless via Bluetooth technology
Benefits of NSF Certification NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) is a independent, accredited organization that verifies test results comply with their standard One of the most respected independent certifications world wide Very stringent approval method 21 st Century pool testing Pool maintenance requires testing for Balanced Water Goal is for Commercial Pool Testing to meet MAHC requirements Free Available Chlorine and ph for Commercial Pools must be tested as often as every 2 hours per MAHC (Model Aquatic Health Code) The pool industry to meet MAHC must use Titration methods or NSF certified methods 21 st Century Smart Pool Testing Many Pool devices and controls have added Bluetooth feature Pool Controllers via Bluetooth can Monitor and Adjust pool via Smart Phone (device) Similarly Pool or Spa Temperature can be adjusted idip is an example Photometer with Bluetooth allowing a link to Smart phone (such as iphone, ipad, or Smart Phone) that has just completed NSF certification for pool and spa water testing
21 st Century Smart Pool Training First step is to train the Service Technician or Health Inspector and keep them trained Smart tools even with NSF certification are great but don t work well in untrained hands There can be a false assumption that if you use a NSF Certified water test you will get accurate results Smart Pool Testing: Train to UNDERSTAND Understand the basic fundamentals of Testing Understand which test methods are NSF Certified or MAHC accepted Understand how to run the test properly Understand limitations and importance of each test Understand that test reagents have shelf life and keep track of the expiration date on reagent Understand that quality results require your attention to all these details Understand how you can verify your accuracy Five Different Test Methods Digital readers like ph & TDS meters Photometers & reagents (NSF Certified is available) Drop Counting Titration (MAHC allowed) Visual Comparator tests (Not accepted by MAHC) Test Strips (Not accepted by MAHC)
Meeting MAHC Pool Testing MAHC requires every 4 hours poolside testing for ph, Free Available Chlorine, Combined Chlorine MAHC testing for Total Alkalinity and Salt (Weekly), Calcium Hardness and Cyanuric Acid (Monthly) MAHC testing for Copper and Silver (Daily), TDS (Quarterly) MAHC requires that tests used to be either Titrimetric or have NSF Certification. Considerations for Poolside Testing Cost (varies $0.03 to over $1.00 per test) Ease of use and time to run test Does method readily link to my Smart Device? Shelf life of test reagent(s) Test must meet MAHC Resolution (how low can you detect?) Accuracy (is test repeatable?) Precision (is result correct?) Visual color poolside testing is NOT Acceptable by MAHC Most likely reasons: 1.Too subjective to get right color match 2.A person can be colorblind
Understand TEST Resolution and Accuracy * Test resolution correlates to test accuracy * Digital Devices give best resolution * After 40 years as an Analytical Chemist, I personally have come to a realization that my lab equipment if properly calibrated (precision is good) will typically give an accuracy of about 3 times the resolution of the test Resolution effects Accuracy! Resolution 1 ppm Resolution 0.1 ppm Resolution effects Accuracy! If your Digital Device has a resolution of 0.01 ppm for Free and Total Chlorine then an accuracy of +/ 0.03 ppm can be expected (factory calibrated photometer). Accuracy is most important when you measure the Combined Chlorine levels, since they need to be below 0.5 ppm (MAHC recommendation). Higher levels trigger: 1. Superchlorination (Shock) and/or 2. Water exchange
Smart ph Test Methods Digital ph meter (typical resolution is 0.01 or 0.1) Digital Photometric (typical resolution is 0.1) Chlorine Test Methods (typical resolution) DPD Photometric Digital Meter (0.01 or 0.1 ppm) FAS-DPD Drop count Titration (0.2 or 0.5 ppm) Total Alkalinity Test Methods (resolution) Photometric (1 ppm) Titration (10 ppm)
Calcium Hardness Test Methods (resolution) Photometric (1 or 5 PPM) Titration (20 PPM) Cyanuric Acid Test Methods (resolution) Photometric (1 ppm) Visual black dot comparator (10 ppm) NSF 50 accuracy scale L1,L2,L3
NSF 50 accuracy scale L1,L2,L3 Understanding typical accuracy Method FC ph AL Calcium CY Photometer 0.04 0.2 10 25 (CaCo 3 ) 5 Titration 0.4 30 40(CaCO3) Comparator 2 0.5 30 Test Strip 3 0.5 50 80 Digital ph 0.05 21 st Century photometric digital test devices
21 st Century photometric digital test devices Using colorimetric or precipitation chemistries and the color (or precipitate) is measured by a digital instrument that measures light transmission through the sample Concentration is determined by the amount of light that is transmitted through the reacted pool water sample Chlorine has 0.01 ppm resolution; +/ 0.04 ppm accuracy ph has 0.1 ppm resolution; +/ 0.3 ppm or better accuracy 21 st Century photometric Bluetooth test device Spin 21 st Century Bluetooth TDS/pH PEN Suggested Internet Price for TDS Pen $147 Suggested Internet Price for ph Pen $140 Suggested Internet Price for ph/tds Pen $280 Test Time 1 minute per test Daily Calibration recommended Made by Myron L Company
21 st Century exact idip Bluetooth device that connects with iphone, ipad, or Android Smart Phone Runs over 40 Water Quality Tests. Each test automatically is linked with Date, Time of day, and pool location (GPS) Export results via email using CSV spreadsheets Recently completed NSF Certifications Bluetooth idip Suggested Price for Meter and FREE app $190 $0.09 to 0.50 per test Test Time about 30 seconds per test 40+ tests available Made by Industrial Test Systems (ITS) in the USA Patent Pending
Understand how to confirm accuracy of your MAHC test method Understand a standard Standards are stabile solutions with known values that are used by laboratories to verify the accuracy of their test Standards are now available for pool professionals Even when you run a MAHC pool water test your accuracy is NOT guaranteed Understanding standard benefits It can verify the accuracy of your test (kit) It can verify that you are running test correctly It can verify kit reagents are functioning properly
Understanding standard usage Food, Medical, and Drinking Water Agencies (Government regulators and inspectors) require that testing equipment be confirmed regularly by standards The pool industry needs to understand that using standards gives confidence in test results Standard examples Most Standards are for only one parameter and require dilution to your testing range Ready Snap 1P requires no dilution to use; just twist open, fill test cell with sample, and run test to verify accuracy Ready Snap are Plastic Ampoules that contain 10 ml of POOL WATER Standard with known values and they can be used with most pool tests NSF 50 and the MAHC do not require using Standards Wouldn t you like to know if your results are accurate? Using READY SNAP With a Bluetooth PHOTOMETER STEP 1 Turn on the Photometer and rinse out photometer cell three times with clean water Break open a Ready Snap by twisting the top 180 Select the MENU for the test method procedure you want to verify (Calcium Hardness in this example) and run the test method as you would normally do the
Using READY SNAP With a Bluetooth PHOTOMETER STEP 2 Squeeze plastic ampoule to fill photometer cell to capacity (4mL) Discard this liquid sample followed with a little shake of the meter to empty the photometer cell of the remaining water drops Squeeze plastic ampoule to fill the photometer cell again Using READY SNAP with a Bluetooth PHOTOMETER STEP 3 Compare the Photometer Digital Display against the assigned value in the chart provided with Ready Snap Standard Using READY SNAP with a Bluetooth PHOTOMETER STEP 4 If your value is within the acceptable range, you are operating the photometer correctly for the Calcium test method If your value is borderline, review that you are doing the test properly Menu Item Assigned Value Chart for READY SNAP 1P (lot 4813) Solution: Parameter Test Desired Acceptable Value (ppm) Range (ppm) Borderline Range (ppm) AL Total Alkalinity 63 53-73 50-76 PH ph 7.6 ph 7.4-7.8 ph 7.3-7.9 ph PO Phosphate 1.7 1.4-2.0 1.3-2.1 CA Calcium as CaCO3 172 142-202 132-212 CY Cyanuric Acid 40 30-50 26-54 +2 CU Copper as Cu 0.30 0.24-0.36 0.22-0.38 +2 CU Total Copper as Cu 0.64 0.56-0.72 0.53-0.75 TH(H) Total Hardness 215 185-245 175-255 CH Chloride (as NaCl) 330 305-355 295-365 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 460 420-500 400-520 R072616
Use READY SNAP standards for verifying these tests: Total Alkalinity ph Calcium Hardness Copper Cyanuric Acid Phosphate Salt (Chloride) TEST Ideal Levels for Pools IDEAL LEVELS ph 7.4 to 7.6 (MAHC 7.2 to 7.8) Free Chlorine Cyanuric Acid 1.0 3.0 ppm (Maximum of 10 ppm) 20 to 60 ppm (MAHC below 100 ppm) Total Alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm (MAHC 60 to 180) Calcium Hardness Copper/Silver 200 to 400 ppm (MAHC maximum level is 1000 ppm) 1.3 ppm/0.10 ppm (from MAHC) Saturation Index 0.5 to +0.5 (salt pools 0.2 to +0.2) Combined Chlorine 0.2 ppm (MAHC action level is 0.4 ppm) Bluetooth idip Calculates SI Now you can have the benefit of knowing Saturation Index (SI) value automatically without effort Just test the basic four tests of ph, Calcium Hardness, Total Alkalinity, and enter the Temperature and TDS of the pool and idip App Auto Calculates the SI
GPS, Bluetooth and your Smart Phone Now you can have the benefit of documenting all your testing including Saturation Index (SI) value automatically without effort by way of idip App All this data is stamped with GPS coordinates and the App allows you to immediately link pool owner or supervisor with this data and any entered notes by way of an email. TESTING Best Practices Circulate pool water before collecting sample, or manually stir water in sample area Rinse sample cell/vial at least three times with pool water before sampling Sample water 18 inches below surface (recommended for tests like Chlorine and Bromine) TESTING Best Practices Do not collect water sample near return lines Note the temperature of water to be tested (Very cold or very hot water can effect test results) Read test instructions for procedure how to run test with very cold or very hot water
TESTING Best Practices Perform tests as soon as possible after collecting sample (immediate testing is required for accurate Free Chlorine and Bromine results) If collecting samples for later testing, handle carefully to avoid contamination, fill bottle to capacity, & seal sample bottle tightly TESTING Best Practices Pay careful attention to expiration dates on reagents Keep reagent containers tightly capped and store in a cool, dark place when possible. Don't swap/mix the caps on reagent bottles to avoid chemical cross contamination TESTING Best Practices Record results and maintain those records for each pool or spa Never dispose of tested samples/reagents in the pool Rinse sample test vials and cells immediately after testing
TESTING Best Practices Use NSF Certified or MAHC recommended tests When using a photometer or any test, verify the accuracy of your results: use a Pool Water Standard to verify photometer, reagents, and operator Understand how to get BEST RESULTS Where possible use simple tests Digital devices give best resolution Better resolution gives better accuracy Accurate results help to make best choices for pool maintenance Questions? Ivars Jaunakais Chief Analytical Chemist Ivars@sensafe.com www.sensafe.com
Helpful Resources Book: Pool Chlorination Facts by Robert W. Lowry Book: Intermediate Training Manual Part 1 Chemicals by Robert W. Lowry Book: The Ultimate Guide to Pool Maintenance by Terry Tamminen Book: The Pool Maintenance Manual by Terry Tamminen Internet: Florida Health Dept: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/water/swim/index.htm l Internet: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/ Internet: NSF http://info.nsf.org.certified/pools/