Page 177 - WaterSense at Work

October 2012 5-27
5.4 Commercial Pool and Spa Equipment
••USA Swimming estimates that using pool covers overnight at heated, commer-
cial indoor swimming pools can save approximately 575,000 gallons of water per
year and also provide energy savings.71
••CUWCC estimates that evaporation losses can be reduced by 30 to 50 percent by
using pool covers and 10 to 30 percent with liquid evaporation barriers.72 For an
Olympic-sized pool, this could save as much as 290,000 gallons per year.
••CUWCC estimates that replacing conventional sand and sorptive media filters
with cartridge or industrial filters, where appropriate, can save between 68 and
98 percent of backwash water. For an Olympic-sized pool, replacing sand filters
with industrial filters could save as much as 940,000 gallons of water per year.73
••CUWCC identified one manufacturer who reported that installing a reverse os-
mosis system could potentially reduce water consumption by saving 78 percent
of the pool water that would otherwise be drained to control mineral buildup.
For an Olympic-sized pool, this could save as much as 300,000 gallons of water
per year.74
••Based on the CUWCC estimates listed above, the combined use of pool covers,
cartridge or industrial filters, and reverse osmosis systems could provide a total
annual water savings of as much as 1,500,000 gallons for Olympic-sized pools.
Additional Resources
Alliance for Water Efficiency. Swimming Pool and Spa Introduction.
www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/Swimming_Pool_and_Spa_Introduction.aspx.
East Bay Municipal Utility District. 2008. WaterSmart Guidebook—A Water-Use
Efficiency Plan Review Guide for New Businesses. www.ebmud.com/for-customers/
conservation-rebates-and-services/commercial/watersmart-guidebook.
Koeller and Company and H.W. (Bill) Hoffman & Associates, LLC. September 2010.
Evaluation of Potential Best Management Practices—Pools, Spas, and Fountains. Pre-
pared for the California Urban Water Conservation Council. Pages 3-30.
www.cuwcc.org/products/pbmp-reports.aspx.
Marin Municipal Water District. Swimming Pool Tips.
www.marinwater.org/controller?action=menuclick&id=268.
Poolmanual.com. Pool Manual. www.poolmanual.com/poolmanual.aspx .
Southern Nevada Water Authority. How to Drain a Pool or Spa.
www.snwa.com/land/pools_drain.html.
State of California Department of Water Resources. 2012. Commercial, Institutional
and Industrial Task Force Best Management Practices Report to the Legislature.
71 USA Swimming. A Green Initiative Unique to Natatoriums. www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=1755&Alias=rainbow&Lang=en
&mid=7715&ItemId=3633.
72 Koeller and Company and H.W. (Bill) Hoffman & Associates, LLC, op. cit., Page 34.
73 Ibid . Page 35.
74 Ibid . Page 30.