HOUSING

AND
SWIMMING POOL
SANITATION

REPORTERS:
DEBORAH BARRIATOS
PAUL MANZANO
 OBJECTIVES:
 TO UNDERSTAND HOUSING SANITATION
 TO KNOW ITS IMPACT TO SOCIETY WHEN NEGLECTED
 TO UNDERSTAND THE CODE OF SANITATION
 TO KNOW WHAT IS SWIMMING POOL SANITATION
 TO KNOW THE TYPES OF POOL
WHAT IS HOUSING?
■ Housing is one of the traditional areas of concern for public health, though it has been
relatively neglected over recent decades.
■ The home is important for psychosocial reasons as well as its protection against the
elements, but it can also be the source of a wide range of hazards (physical, chemical, and
biological). It is the environment in which most people spend the majority of their time.
HOUSING SANITATION
■ The sanitation and maintenance of a house greatly impacts the health and safety of all
individuals living in that house. The proper use of cleaning products and natural
alternatives will improve house cleanliness as well as avoid contact with or poor use of
products potentially harmful to an individual’s health. It is important because a variety of
harmful or deadly bacteria would otherwise infect people and potentially start a disease.
HOUSING AND HEALTH
■ A healthy home needs to have sound structure, to be free of hazards, to provide adequate
facilities for sleeping, personal hygiene, the preparation and storage of food, to be an
environment for comfortable relaxation, for privacy and quiet, and to provide the facility
for social exchange with friends, family and others. The local environment is also
important in determining such factors as fear of crime, access to local services and
facilities and in promoting social interaction.
HOUSING RELATED HAZARDS
Knowledge of potential hazards in the home is important in keeping individuals and
families healthy.
■ DAMP AND MOULD GROWTH
- Health threats due to dust mites, mould or fungal including mental and social wellbeing
health threats associated with damp, humid and mouldy conditions
HEALTH EFFECTS
- Allergies, asthma, effects of toxins from mould and fungal infections
 ■ EXCESS COLD
- Threats to health from cold indoor temperatures. A healthy indoor temperature is 18oC
to 21oC
HEALTH EFFECTS
- Respiratory conditions: flu, pneumonia and bronchitis Cardiovascular conditions: heart
attacks and strokes
■ EXCESS HEAT
- Threats due to high indoor temperatures
HEALTH EFFECTS
- Dehydration, trauma, stroke, cardiovascular and respiratory
■ CARBON MONOXIDE AND FUEL COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
- Excess levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and smoke.
- Poisoning by carbon monoxide occurs as the result in poorly ventilated and maintained
combustion sources (gas boilers, fires etc.)
HEALTH EFFECTS
- Dizziness, nausea, headaches, disorientation, unconsciousness and breathing problems
 ■ WATER SUPPLY
- Threats to health from contamination by bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical
pollutants due to the quality of water supply for drinking household use such as cooking,
washing and sanitation
HEALTH EFFECTS
- Dehydration, fatigue, headaches, dry skin, bladder infections and légionnaires disease

other housing related hazards (mainly with rarer occurrence or small/uncertain health effects)
include:
■ asbestos and man-made mineral fibres (mmmf) – a common material in older dwellings,
but usually causing low level exposure unless disturbed.
■ lead – mainly in old lead paint and water pipes/solder joints
■ noise
■ electrical hazards
■ structural failure
■ entrapment of collision
■ explosions
■ entry by intruders
■ hot surfaces and materials
■ domestic hygiene, pest etc.
■ inadequate provision for food safety
■ inadequate lighting
■ poor ergonomics
■ crowding and space
■ radiation
■ food safety
 SWIMMING POOL SANITATION
SWIMMING POOL SANITATION CODE:
■ Section 51. Sanitary Permit No public swimming and bathing places shall be operated for
public use without a sanitary permit issued by the Secretary or his duty authorized
representative.
■ Section 52. Protection of Customers to protect the health and safety of persons who use
them, the Department shall promulgate:
(a) Rules and regulations concerning:
1. Correct sanitary practices for persons swimming or bathing to prevent the transmission of
communicable diseases;
2. Correct sanitary procedures for personnel working in those places to maintain their
adequate sanitation and cleanliness of accessories used by customers;
3. Adequate number of trained personnel and necessary equipment needed for life-saving
and rescue work;
4. Post conspicuous signs to warn the public of the presence of artificial or natural hazards;
and
(b) Standards and criteria concerning:
1. Sanitary structural requisites for swimming pools and bath houses to prevent pollution of
their waters and to facilitate sanitation maintenance;
2. Sanitary structural standards for appurtenances, such as toilets, shower baths and dressing
rooms to eliminate the risk of infection;
3. Methods of determining the sanitary quality of water, particularly that which is used in
swimming pools; and
4. Criteria to be used in the limitation of swimming or bathing loads of swimming pools in
accordance with the type of water treatment applied.
■ Section 53. Responsibility of the Local Health Authority. The local health authority
concerned shall:
1. Inspect the state of sanitation of public swimming or bathing places;
2. Ascertain if their personnel are examined regularly for the presence of any infections or
contagious disease;
3. Enforce rules and regulations of the Department under this Chapter; and
4. Recommend to the Department the revocation of their permits when it is deemed
necessary for the protection of public health.
WHAT IS SWIMMING POOL?
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or paddling pool is a structure
designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities.
Two distinct and separate methods are employed in the sanitation of a swimming pool.
The consecutive dilution system to allow the removal of organic waste on a daily basis by
using the sieve baskets inside the skimmer and circulation pump and the sand unit with a
backwash facility for easy removal of organic waste from the water
circulation. Disinfection normally in the form of Hypochlorous acid (HClO) to kill
infectious microorganism. Alongside these two distinct measures within the pool owners
jurisdiction, swimmer hygiene and cleanliness helps reduce organic waste build up.

Contaminants and disease

Swimming pool contaminants are introduced from environmental sources and
swimmers. Affecting primarily outdoor swimming pools, environmental contaminants
include windblown dirt and debris, incoming water from unsanitary sources, rain containing
microscopic algae spores and droppings from birds possibly harbouring disease-causing
pathogens. Indoor pools are less susceptible to environmental contaminants.
Contaminants introduced by swimmers can dramatically influence the operation of
indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Sources include micro-organisms from infected
swimmers and body oils including sweat, cosmetics, suntan lotion, urine, saliva and fecal
matter; for example, it was estimated by researchers that swimming pools contain, on
average, 30 to 80 mL of urine for each person that uses the pool.
In addition, the interaction between disinfectants and pool water contaminants can
produce a mixture of chloramines and other disinfection by-products.
Pathogenic contaminants are of greatest concern in swimming pools as they have been
associated with numerous recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Public health pathogens can
be present in swimming pools as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and fungi. Diarrhea is the most
commonly reported illness associated with pathogenic contaminants, while other diseases
associated with untreated pools are Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis. Other illnesses
commonly occurring in poorly maintained swimming pools include otitis externa, commonly
called swimmers ear, skin rashes and respiratory infections.
Maintenance and hygiene
Contamination can be minimized by good swimmer hygiene practices such as showering
before and after swimming, and not letting children with intestinal disorders swim. Effective
treatments are needed to address contaminants in pool water because preventing the
introduction of pool contaminants, pathogenic and non-pathogenic, into swimming pools is
impossible.
A well-maintained, properly operating pool filtration and re-circulation system is the first
barrier in combating contaminants large enough to be filtered.
SWIMMING POOL FILTRATION
Swimming pools instead are equipped with a pool filtration system to keep
the pool clean and sanitary for use. The pool filtration system consists of swimming
pool pumps, pool filters, drains, skimmers, return fittings, and other optional equipment and
fittings.
The efficiency of the water disinfection depends on the water hardness and the pH. In
fact, pH is the first factor that we should control and adjust.
pH adjustment
The desired pH of the swimming pool water is between the limits of 7.2 and 7.6, with
the ideal level being 7.4. There are two reasons according to which 7.4 has been specified as
the ideal level:
A) The pH of human blood is 7.4.
B) The vast majority of the water disinfectants is inactive when the water pH is higher
than 7.8 (e.g., chlorine is only 20% active when water pH is higher than 7.8).
Chemicals are recommended to be thrown in the swimming pools in soluble form, since
insoluble chemicals are likely to cause membrane stains.
 Water hardness
Water with high hardness combined with high pH results in salts deposits on the
swimming pool surfaces. The only way to minimize these deposits is to maintain the pH of
the water at the level of 7.2. In case you want the water to be deposit-free, the use of water
softeners is highly recommended.

WATER DISINFECTION
The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the water is favoured by a number of
factors, such as neutral pH, the presence of organic matter which constitutes their food, and the
presence of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are necessary for their
biosynthesis.
1. CHLORINE
- Chlorine is the most widespread and effective disinfectant. It has the ability to neutralize
all pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, coli form bacteria, viruses, etc. (active or not),
which pool water may contain. It can be found in solid, gaseous or liquid form:

Some of the problems deriving from the chlorine use are the following:
A. When chlorine is combined with amines (organic compounds derived from saliva,
urine and sweat) chloramines are created. Chloramines apart from generating smell they
practically constitute chlorine’s “death” given that they are produced even if there is a lot of free
chlorine in the water.
 B. In indoor pools where there is no adequate ventilation and dehumidification system,
chlorine can cause respiratory distress to swimmers.
C. When chlorine comes in direct contact with the pool membrane, it creates
discoloration, (indelible stains).
2. BROMINE
It is used in tablet form undergoing slow dissolution. The advantages of this method are the
following:
A. As a disinfectant it remains active even when the pH is higher than 7.8
B. The reaction of bromine with the organic compounds of the water binds a small amount
of bromine contrary to chlorine which binds a larger amount (bound chlorine).
C. Amines produced in the water remain active, without binding the water chlorine, thus,
the disinfecting capacity is increased.

3. ELECTROLYSIS
Electrolysis is based on the production of chlorine by salt, which is used as a starting material.
There are two advantages of this method:
A. The form of the chlorine produced does not create any undesirable residues
B. Low-cost consumable is achieved
It is one method of disinfection which constantly gains ground. The chlorine produced by
salt is more environmentally friendly compared to industrial chlorine.
4. OZONATION
Ozone is considered to be equally effective as chlorine to bacteria and pathogenic
microorganisms found in the water. The gas is released in the pool water through injection
accompanied by a noise. The degassing chamber (special chamber for isolating the ozone from
the air) holds a certain water level. The mixture produced is passed through activated carbon and
gets released into the pool water. It has no residual activity and therefore chlorine needs to be
used as a complementary disinfectant, reducing the quantity of the disinfectant agent.
This method’s main advantage lies in the absence of consumables, since special high-
voltage lamps are used in order to produce ozone in the air.
This method’s disadvantages are important:
A. The process of placing the equipment mentioned above in the pool water is
extremely expensive
B. Its residual activity and the ability to control the network are not guaranteed
C. Power and meticulous maintenance are always required.
5. IONIZATION
This term is used to describe the method of disinfecting water with copper and silver ions.
The former eliminate the organic pathogenic microorganisms while the latter remove the
inorganic pathogens from the pool water. The electrodes used for the production of ions, consist
of 97% copper and 3% silver. This disinfection method, like the previous one, acts
complementarily to the chlorination of water. What is mainly achieved is the chemicals
consumption reduction.
SUMMARY
Housing is one of the traditional areas of concern for public health, though it has been
relatively neglected over recent decades. The sanitation and maintenance of a house greatly
impacts the health and safety of all individuals living in that house. The proper use of
cleaning products and natural alternatives will improve house cleanliness as well as avoid
contact with or poor use of products potentially harmful to an individual’s health. Knowledge
of potential hazards in the home is important in keeping individuals and families healthy.
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or paddling pool is a structure designed to
hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Swimming pool contaminants are
introduced from environmental sources and swimmers. Affecting primarily outdoor
swimming pools, environmental contaminants include windblown dirt and debris, incoming
water from unsanitary sources, rain containing microscopic algae spores and droppings from
birds possibly harbouring disease-causing pathogens. Indoor pools are less susceptible to
environmental contaminants. The sanitation of swimming pool has many methods which
some of it can also affects the human health.