Arbeitsgemeinschaft Badeseen und Schwimmteiche Forschungsgemeinschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau e. V. Deutsche Gesellschaft für das Badewesen e.v. Swimming ponds Introduction into the topic definitions requirements Author: Michael Weilandt, Germany
How it all began In the eighties Swimming ponds enter the scenery, first in Austria, first in private gardens. In the the nineties First public swimming pond in Austria built in 1991 2000 The first German swimming pond as a project of the EXPO 2000 in Hannover
2003 The German Federal Environmental Agancy published the Recommendations for assessing the hygiene of public swimming ponds 2003 First edition of the FLL-Guideline "Recommendations for Planning, Construction, Servicing and Operation of Public Swimming and Bathing Ponds."
A lot of things happened. Swimming ponds at first were not only built by swimming pool architects and engineers, but in majority by horticulture engineers. They fell back to good experiences with plant filtration e. g. in the waste water treatment They combined all to a swimming facility with a biological water treatment and natural design. Some facilities failed and some "traditional" water treatment experts were gloating.
Many happy concerns When the pools turned up in the public area They immediately drove the attention of the swimming pool water experts to them. But unfortunately many experts, bodies and organisations, even the Deutsche Gesellschaft für das Badewesen e. V. (DGfdB) did not take the subject for a serious discussion.
In 1998 the DGfdB had this topic on the agenda of the Technical Committee in Bremen. An architect and an operator were there to speak about their experiences. Our association had the chance in that moment, to take the lead in the process of developing these pools. But we missed out this chance.
German Association for Naturelike Bathing Waters Founded in 1999 Promotion of the idea, that swimming ponds are much cheaper in operation supervision is not necessary. Basic rules for building and operating a pool are neglected.
Marketing The operation costs of swimming ponds regularly are many times lower than the costs of a conventional outdoor pool An important factor is the identification with the pool and the community. Live in the community will become more colourful, more active, vandalism will be prohibited A possibility for communities to save operation costs is to transfer the operation to a club. These clubs then are the operators and regulate all questions of the duty of care with private insurances.
If the managers of the club want to go without a supervision is left up to them and their courage.
Why are they so popular? Panic about chlorine and disinfections by-products. Press publications, e. g. Asthma and bladder cancer. A tendency "Back to Nature Pool operators urgently looking for a cheap alternative for a renovation of their outdoor pool.
An outdoor swimming pool
Basic Safety Requirements for swimming pools - and Swimming Ponds EN 15288-1 Swimming pools Part 1: Safety requirements for design EN 15288-2 Swimming pools Part 2: Safety requirements for operation EN 13451-1 "Swimming pool equipment Part 1: General safety requirements and test methods" EN 13451-3 Swimming pool equipment Part 3: Additional specific safety requirements and test methods for inlets and outlets and water/air based water leisure features EN 13451-10 Swimming pool equipment Part 10: Additional specific safety requirements and test methods for diving platforms, diving springboards and associated equipment EN 1069-1 Water slides Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods EN 1069-2 Water slides Part 2: Instructions DGfdB 65.09 Test of the hydraulic function of treatment facilities of outdoor pools with biological water treatment.
Basic Safety Requirements for swimming pools - and Swimming Ponds EN 15288-1 Swimming pools Part 1: Safety requirements for design EN 15288-2 Swimming pools Part 2: Safety requirements for operation EN 13451-1 "Swimming pool equipment Part 1: General safety requirements and test methods" EN 13451-3 Swimming pool equipment Part 3: Additional specific safety requirements and test methods for inlets and outlets and water/air based water leisure features EN 13451-10 Swimming pool equipment Part 10: Additional specific safety requirements and test methods for diving platforms, diving springboards and associated equipment EN 1069-1 Water slides Part 1: Safety requirements and test methods EN 1069-2 Water slides Part 2: Instructions DGfdB 65.09 Test of the hydraulic function of treatment facilities of outdoor pools with biological water treatment.
To Swimming Ponds all safety requirements for swimming pools apply: Especially regarding the supervision. They have to be operated like every other public swimming pool, in fact they are outdoor pools, but they have a special water treatment. And a water treatment it is...
Water Treatment (DIN 19643-1 "Treatment of water of swimming pools and baths - Part 1: General requirements ) Processing of the water to fit its quality to the designated purpose and certain requirements.
Swimming Ponds are no surface waters or bathing waters, no nature baths. Surface waters are defined in the DIRECTIVE 2000/60/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 2000, and bathing waters in the DIRECTIVE 2006/7/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 2006. This directive does not apply to artificially created confined waters separated from surface, So Swimming Ponds are not under the scope of the directive.
Time for a Change of the view Swimming Ponds now are called "Outdoor Pools with Biological Water Treatment", they are, first of all, outdoor swimming pools.
FLL Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau e. V FLL founded in 1975 by 8 professional and trade associations FLL is a non-profit organisation Objective: 1) Support for research in landscape development and landscaping Extension of the objective in the 1980s 2) Development of product-neutral principles and guidelines for quality assurance and to promote research in production, planning and construction 3) Public information events 4) scientific exchange 1
Target Groups of the FLL Horticulture, landscaping und sports field construction Landscaping, construction und interior architecture Engineers (e.g. civil engineers), partly also road engineers Public and private clients Market gardening (nurseries, perennial, ornamental and seed producers) Product /system manufacturers (e.g. green roofing, riding arena construction) Experts, courts Training institutes, colleges, universities etc. 1
Regulatory Work FLL guidelines supplement DIN standards and other regulations. These work areas from landscape design and landscaping are not covered by these. 62 Working groups (approx. 35 active, 25 adjourned ) voluntary work by approx. 500 experts (scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals from different disciplines) interdisciplinary work Product neutrality the experts themselves benefit considerably from the exchange of current information. 1
Series, Publications The results of the working committes are published as Guidelines, Technical reports or Conference proceedings in the FLL series of a) Normative Documents (Guidelines): b) Informative FLL Publications 1
Normative Publications 1982 first published as principles Well-known FLL Guidelines Jürgen Rohrbach Wintertagung Verband Rhein. Baumschulen 21.01.2015 1
A long Way From Nature Ponds to Outdoor Pools with Biological Water Treatment "Recommendations for Planning, Construction, Servicing and Operation of Outdoor Swimming Pools with Biological Water Purification (Swimming and Bathing Ponds) www.fll.de
Definition: Outdoor pool with biological water purification (swimming and bathing pond) Facility intended to be used specifically for swimming and bathing, sealed off from the ground, consisting of usage and purification areas with defined requirements regarding water quality. Water is purified biologically, without additional chemical and/or physical disinfection processes.
It s a difference of course!
And it s similar of course!
Do you see a difference?
Conclusions A meanwhile high level standards and professionalizing of planning, building and operating can be stated. So these pools should be regarded with the same interest and the same earnestness as it is self-understanding with the traditionally "water treated" swimming pools.