Comparing Secondary & Supplemental Water Treatment for Aquatic Facilities: Key Differences & Benefits
Before we define and compare supplemental and secondary treatments, it’s important to understand why they’re gaining popularity in hotels, recreation centers, water parks and other facilities. Aquatics facilities are installing supplemental and secondary treatments to improve water and air quality, reduce risk and protect swimmers.
Are you struggling to keep your aquatic facility’s water clean and safe? Maintaining optimal water quality is vital for your patrons’ health and satisfaction. If you’re in the aquatics industry, you’ve likely heard of “secondary” and “supplemental” pool treatments. But do you really know how they differ? If not, you’re not alone. Many are confused about how each one helps aquatic operators.
Secondary and supplemental treatments are becoming popular in hotels, recreation centers, water parks and many other aquatic facilities. These additional treatment methods go beyond traditional chlorine or bromine capabilities, offering better protection against threats like combined chlorine and Cryptosporidium.
In this guide, we’ll explain the key differences between secondary and supplemental treatments. You’ll learn why they are essential for modern aquatic facilities. Whether you’re upgrading your pool’s disinfection system or exploring the latest water treatment technology, this comparison will provide the insights you need.
Let’s explore how secondary and supplemental pool treatment systems can help your aquatics facility give patrons healthy, crystal-clear and refreshing pool water.
Why Supplemental & Secondary Treatment Matters For Aquatic Facilities
Before we compare supplemental and secondary pool systems, it’s important to know why they’re gaining popularity. Maintaining high water quality is essential for any aquatic facility. But supplemental and secondary pool systems offer crucial support to traditional methods, ensuring a cleaner, safer environment for everyone.
1. Cryptosporidium: A Major RWI Threat
Cryptosporidium, or “Crypto,” is a recreational water illness (RWI) and parasitic infection transmitted by ingesting contaminated water. Cryptosporidium outbreaks can result in hundreds of patrons falling ill from diarrheal disease, facility shutdowns, and multi-million dollar lawsuits. In 2016, over 200 people fell ill in Arizona during a Cryptosporidium outbreak in local recreational water facilities, and more than 1,000 fell ill in Ohio in a similar event.
The CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) offers specialized guidelines to help aquatic facilities provide a healthy and safe environment. The MAHC recommends that aquatic facilities add Cryptosporidium protection with supplemental or secondary treatments. This code is a living document, open for revision every three years.
2. Less Chloramines, Better Water & Air Quality
Traditionally chlorinated pools without secondary or supplemental systems can harm the health and experience of swimmers and staff. While many assume pool chlorine causes irritation and lung issues, it’s actually combined chlorine that is the culprit. Combined chlorine, or chloramines, form when chlorine reacts with organic material like sweat, urea, and lotions in pool water. This reaction produces disinfection by-products (DBPs) that lead to the familiar “pool chlorine” smell, red eyes, and skin irritation.
Extended exposure to combined chlorine can result in more serious health issues, such as chlorine cough, allergies, asthma and Lifeguard Lung. Traditionally treated pools often combat combined chlorine by adding chlorine shock, but this is only a short-term solution and can be hazardous for swimmers and staff. Supplemental and secondary treatments provide a more effective, long-term solution by reducing chloramines, thus improving both water and air quality in aquatic facilities.
3. Protecting Swimmers & Facility Reputation
A clean and safe pool environment is essential for a facility’s reputation. Supplemental and secondary treatments help maintain water quality, ensuring swimmers’ safety. This not only protects patrons but also enhances your aquatic facility’s reputation.
Hotels, recreation centers and water parks increasingly use these supplemental and secondary systems due to their significant benefits. The improved water quality and reduced health risks are driving their popularity, making these treatments standard in many aquatic facilities. Implementing supplemental and secondary treatments can significantly enhance the safety and quality of your aquatic facility. They offer additional layers of protection, ensuring a healthier environment for everyone.
4. Saving Time & Costs
While not all, implementing certain supplemental and secondary pool treatments can lead to significant time and cost savings. With need for chlorine and shocking, these systems lower the need for chemicals and the associated maintenance costs. Additionally, improved water and air quality can decrease the wear and tear on facility infrastructure, further reducing maintenance expenses.
However, not all secondary and supplemental systems offer these savings. For instance, UV systems have a high upfront cost, ongoing energy costs, and require extensive professional services. The long-term savings on chemicals, equipment and potential liability costs make other types of treatments, such as Hydroxyl-Based AOP systems, a cost-effective investment for aquatic facilities.
Is MAHC Recommended or Regulatory?
When considering updates to your aquatic facility, it’s essential to know what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) truly recommends. Here’s what you need to know:
- MAHC Requirements Apply Only to New Construction: The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) recommends secondary disinfection specifically for new aquatic facilities—such as wading pools and therapy pools—where younger or vulnerable patrons are at higher risk.
- Existing Facilities Are Grandfathered In: If your facility was built before these recommendations, you aren’t required to add secondary disinfection. Facilities built prior to MAHC’s guidelines typically follow pre-existing standards.
- MAHC Guidelines Are Advisory, Not Regulatory: The MAHC offers health and safety recommendations, not enforceable rules. This gives facility operators flexibility to choose solutions that enhance water quality without the pressure of mandates.
Why does this matter? Understanding these distinctions can help aquatic operators make informed decisions based on their aquatic facility’s needs, budget and goals. Clear Comfort’s advanced systems meet and exceed these guidelines, providing an excellent option for those seeking higher standards in water quality.
With this knowledge, you’re equipped to make the best choice for your facility’s safety and compliance.
Secondary vs. Supplemental Disinfection
Understanding the differences between supplemental and secondary treatments is crucial for choosing the right system for your aquatic facility. Both systems provide essential support to traditional chlorine disinfection methods.
Supplemental Treatment
Supplemental disinfection systems are installed in addition to a commercial aquatic facility’s primary disinfection methods, like chlorine or bromine, which are required by health codes. These systems tackle issues that chlorine or bromine alone cannot address, such as reducing combined chlorine and protecting against Cryptosporidium. As a result, swimmers and staff can enjoy a healthier, cleaner, and safer pool environment.
Supplemental treatment is not required by health codes. However, it can significantly enhance system performance and improve water quality, as encouraged by MAHC. Typically, an NSF 50 certification qualifies a system for use as supplemental treatment technology.
Secondary Disinfection
Like supplemental treatment, secondary pool systems are often used for additional disinfection beyond chlorine or bromine. These secondary systems often require science-based evidence that they can reduce parasitic infections, like Cryptosporidium.
As stated, the MAHC recommends secondary disinfection specifically for new construction of aquatic venues for children under 5 years old – like wading pools, interactive water play structures, etc. – and therapy pools, where there is a likelihood for bathers with open wounds. Existing aquatic facilities are typically grandfathered and do not require secondary disinfection. Additionally, the MAHC serves as a guideline, not a regulatory requirement, meaning these recommendations are advisory rather than enforceable mandates.
For other aquatic facilities, secondary disinfection is not mandatory; however, supplemental treatment may be added to enhance water quality and system performance.
According to the MAHC recommendations, “Secondary treatment shall be designed to achieve a minimum 3-log (99.9%) reduction in the number of infective Cryptosporidium oocysts per pass through the secondary treatment for interactive water play aquatic venues and a minimum 2-log (99%) reduction per pass for all other aquatic venues.”
By comparison, Clear Comfort’s AOP water treatment system, verified by the University of Colorado Boulder, achieved a 4-log (99.99%) reduction in Cryptosporidium. This remarkable improvement in treatment effectiveness highlights Clear Comfort’s commitment to advanced water quality protection.
Cryptosporidium Reduction: Clear Comfort AOP & MAHC Recommendations
Clear Comfort’s AOP system, verified by University of Colorado Boulder, delivers 4-log (99.99%) Cryptosporidium reduction – exceeding MAHC standards for water quality.
- Clear Comfort AOP: 4-log (99.99%) reduction
- MAHC For Interactive Aquatic Venues: 3-log (99.9%) reduction per pass
- MAHC For Other Aquatic Venues: 2-log (99%) reduction per pass
Discover the science behind Clear Comfort AOP’s performance. To learn more, download the Cryptosporidium Removal Case Study here.
Originally Published on Dec 15, 2018
