A swimming pool serves as a recreational center and as a body-exercising medium for the community. The possibility of physical accidents & health hazards occurring while swimming in a natural source reservoir, are avoided in a Well-built swimming pool. Therefore the prime importance shall be given to the following requirements while designing a swimming pool.

• Safety of human life by providing proper size & shape of the pool.
• Proper filtration & circulation system to avoid health hazards.
• Additional safety measures for avoiding trace passing of children and unlearnt swimmers.
• Ease in maintenance.

Quality of water in a pool:

The swimming pool being a public place and water being the best medium for spreading various deceases; utmost care should be taken for, maintaining the Quality of water in the pool

The essential requirements of swimming pool waters are: –

1. The water should be clear, so as to make the bottom of the pool visible, to avoid accidents during diving.
2. The water should be safe to bath in it.
3. The water should have approved quantities of disinfectants, dissolved in it, to immediately remove the bacteria & pollution being added by the bathers from their body.
4. It should have a comfortable temperature of about 270 to 300 c.
5. Water should be chemically balanced to avoid adverse effect on swimmers’ body.
6. The swimming pool & its surroundings shall be maintained clean & hygienic to maintain the quality of the water.

TYPES OF SWIMMING POOL

1. Overflow type
2. Skimmer type
3. Invert gully type

PROCEDURE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SWIMMING POOL

The construction of swimming pool involves more civil engineering items; but because of the complexity of plumbing & electrical works related to the hydraulics, it is essential to construct a pool under the supervision of an experienced consultant.

It is equally important for the site engineer to deliver keen & timely supervision to avoid repetitive repairs.

Following are the key areas which demand keen supervision from the site Engineer.

Approved architectural & structural design of swimming pool & surrounding landscaping will lead to the sequence of activities as follows.

Finalization of following reduced levels w.r.t. Deck top as the T.B.M..

1. F.F.L.of the road.
2. F.F.L.of the Deck.
3. Full reservoir level.
4. Plinth levels of adjoining structures like changing room etc.
5. Reduced levels of the following items by forming a grid of 2 m x2 m.to define the exact slope.

• Top of excavation.
• Top of soling.
• Top of P.C.C. below raft..
• Top of R.C.C. raft.
• Top of finished flooring level (bottom of swimming pool).
• Top of main drain jali.
• Top of water inlets.
• Top and bottom of Overflow gutters.
• Top of Vacuum point (for skimmer type pool)
• Top of Pool light points.

PROCEDURE FOR CONSTRUCTION :

Mark permanently DECK LEVEL as T.B.M. and then start the setting out. Accordingly execute the works in the following sequence.

1. Excavation till required depth.
2. Murrum filling, watering & compaction.
3. Rubble soling & compaction
4. Mark & lay concealed G.I. plumbing lines for main drain & water inlet pipe. This activity is to be carried out along with the binding of steel.
5. P.C.C. (with waterproofing if specified)
6. R.C.C. raft (Take care to check the top of main drain jali & water inlet jali if to be provided at bottom)
7. Tying of reinforcement up to the bottom of overflow gutter (for overflow type of pool).
8. Necessary conduiting & provision of nitches for concealed waterproof light points at the time of shuttering.
9. Casting of R.C.C. pardi upto the bottom of overflow gutter
10. Shuttering & reinforcement of overflow gutter
11. Fixing of gutter outlet at specified location & level.
12. Concreting the bottom of the overflow gutter and then of the side pardies (Maintain desired slope of gutter & top of side pardies).
13. Cleaning of all the R.C.C. surface, opening /finishing and plugging the pockets/points.
14. Water proofing of R.C.C. raft , pardi from inside and outside including overflow gutter as specified. All curvatures and levels are to be precisely observed while water proofing.
15. Filling the pool with water.
16. Pressure testing of plumbing work.
17. Backfilling and compaction for deck area to be carried only after testing of water proofing and plumbing work.
18. Laying of necessary electrical and other service lines at deck area before P.C.C. of deck.
19. P.C.C. of deck with specified slopes etc.
20. Tiling of pool.

• Confirm the designed patterns with different tiles etc.
• Mark the patterns on bottom & sidewalls.
• Mark the guideline dots as required.
• Mark the floor level dots at bottom with required slope & levels.
• Start fixing the tiles as per patterned set, by using tile adhesives as specified by the swimming pool consultant.
• Follow & observe the same procedure for wall & floor tiling work.

Ensure the following things during tiling work strictly

• Undulations must be avoided
• Sharp edges & corners must be avoided.
• Fill the tile joints using specified joint fillers only.
• Finishing must be done carefully at all openings for fittings
• Maintain the slope towards the gutter outlet during tiling.
• Top levels of two side walls of gutter are to be maintained as specified.
• Deck tiling work is to be carried out with specified line, levels & patterns.

Recycling of the pool water is widely practiced in swimming pools. Reuse of water is achieved by providing a filtration system. This system comprises of a pressure filter, chlorinator, chemical doser and a pumping system to recirculate the entire pool water in designed hours (Usually not more than eight hours a day). Water is sometimes areated to eliminate dissolved gases. Areation also gives a sparkling effect to the pool water.

In spite of the reuse of old water, certain fresh water will be required to be added in the pool to compensate the water lost, in evaporation, back washing of filter, surface skimming and vacuum cleaning of the pool floor. This lost water will have to be compensated almost daily by adding fresh quantity of water in the pool.

The typical plumbing layout details of swimming pool using recycling of pool water are shown in the figure.

Acceptable values of water quality parameters to be tested in swimming pool.

Sr.No.	Parameter	Acceptable values
1.	Free chlorine	1 to 2 mg / L
2.	Combined chlorine	Not more than 1/3 chlorine
3.	pH	7.4 to 7.6
4.	Alkalinity using Hypo chloride	100 mg/ L
5.	Calcium	100 mg/ L

Filtration plant & room

This room is designed to accommodate the filteration plant. The room shall have proper access and ventilation. Floor level of this room is generally maintained below the bottommost level of the pool to facilitate the gravity flow of water from the pool to the filtration plant.

An Instructions Board shall be fixed at a prominent location to display the following rules and regulations.

1. Diving & jumping into pool is dangerous & strictly prohibited.
2. Enter the pool only after taking a shower bath.
3. Proper swimming suit is necessary to enter the pool.
4. Ladies should wear hair cap.
5. Use of goggles is recommended to avoid irritation of eyes .
6. Do not spit in & around pool.
7. Do not throw stones in the pool.
8. Children under 12 years of age, are allowed to swim only if accompanied by an adult.
9. Learners should not enter the pool without the trainer & lifeguard.
10. Timings are to be followed strictly.
11. Medical fitness certificate is to be furnished before using pool.
12. Eatables are not permitted in the pool area.
13. Any person using the pool should swim on his / her own risk.Management of the pool will not be responsible for any accident, loss of belongings, death of pool users. Management will not entertain any claim in this regard.
14. In case of any emergency, contact the club house attendant or call the security personnel.
15. Do not misbehave inside the pool area.
16. Kindly help to maintain the cleanliness of water & premises.
17. Management reserves the right to deny the use of the pool to anyone at any time.
18. No animal or pets are allowed in the pool or on the deck.
19. No person with communicable disease is allowed in the pool.
20. No person with skin, eye, ear or nosal infections is allowed in the pool.
21. No person under the influence of alcohol or drugs is allowed to use the pool.