Shower rule

This is probably a combination of pool usage (bather load), bad water chemistry and poor filtration. Showers will help with the sweat and water chemistry, but if the existing pump room setup can't handle the bather load, its never going to get any better. Even crappy setups should be able to "turn over" overnight and sounds like this isn't happening, which means there the latter two are probably the issue. The Taylor Test Kit (it is a little blue case) has reagents for testing all kinds of things with pool water beyond normal chlorine and pH, and it would be a good idea for the aquatic staff to test everything it tests and make sure all their chemicals are at normal levels. This could be something as simple as too much chlorine. They might need to temporarily backwash more frequently than they do today to make sure the filter is clean and to introduce fresh water more regularly. If that doesn't help, its probably a problem with the filter (leak, old equipment) and that's not good. Regardless, if the facility put up signage for showers, they should be enforcing that more strictly. An ALL HANDS ON DECK approach will help, and it should be enforced from front desk all the way into the pool. No staff member should be off limits from enforcing it. It is not too much to ask of patrons, either temporarily or permanently.

Also, NJAC 8:26-7.9 states in (a) "The pool operator shall monitor water clarity daily," and (b) "When in use, the deepest portion of the pool floor shall be clearly visible from the swimming pool's edge." Note that organic chemicals on human skin and hair (natural or un-natural organic compounds from skin oils, perfume, sweat, deodorant, powder, urine, etc.) if carried into the pool will combine with chlorine to form undesirable dissolved chlorinated organic compounds in the water. This reaction reduces the effectiveness of the chlorine disinfectant, and these dissolved organic compounds are not removed by a typical sand-type pool filter. Some of these potentially formed chlorinated organic compounds are regulated in drinking water, but not in pool water. Nonetheless, minimizing the formation potential just makes good sense. So, take a shower or go soak in your tub.

Thank you everyone, for such helpful info! Sounds like Sojerz and Muppett have or are pool operators. :banana: This particular facility is one of many across the state, and is a health and wellness center. They have had the same "pool" people in charge for at least the last 10 years, and guards regularly check the water quality. I'm not sure how often they backwash, but I would wager at least weekly. It is an old, crappy system for sure. Air quality is never consistent, nor is the water temperature. They have been promising to convert to salt water for years. It's supposed to happen this summer. Mupett for sure, but I'm just an old "pool rat" and environmental engineer/geologist with lots of water supply, quality, and treatment experience in NJ. I often swim in an LA Fitness pool in West Deptford and find problems similar to those you described from time to time, and sometimes to much chlorine too. Because the pool is very shallow and unattended most of the day, I think it can go south pretty quickly. There is no one in the pool area to enforce the shower rule, but they do have showers even on the deck and people do sometimes use them, which is great.

Sounds like that pool needs to get itself together in terms of maintenance, I never have seen anyone shower before getting in at my pool though

Thank you everyone, for such helpful info! Sounds like Sojerz and Muppett have or are pool operators. :banana: This particular facility is one of many across the state, and is a health and wellness center. They have had the same "pool" people in charge for at least the last 10 years, and guards regularly check the water quality. I'm not sure how often they backwash, but I would wager at least weekly. It is an old, crappy system for sure. Air quality is never consistent, nor is the water temperature. They have been promising to convert to salt water for years. It's supposed to happen this summer.

I'm going to go out on a limb here (especially since you said nothing about the makeup of your pool's filtration system, bather load, etc) and suggest that the only people who might cause problems are those who jump in the pool after a nice, sweaty workout without first showering. Even so, that population is likely a relatively small fraction of the total swimmer population, so while it might be a bit disgusting to see such individuals hop in the pool, they are probably not a major factor. My guess as to the actual culprit would be bad pool chemistry being practiced by the pool staff. If they are just following a script, it's likely that if they get off-script and the pool chemistry gets out-of-whack, they have difficulty resolving the problem. Just my 2¢...

I'm old sooooo - back in the day ALL people that entering the pool were required to shower or at least get wet. I have not seen this in the last 10 years. Almost NOBODY showers anymore, including the swim teams of age group and masters! I have told a lady running a water aerobic class that the ladies need to shower since I could smell and taste all the body powder,perfume and deodorant in the water. She replied "I can't tell them to do that" Why not? it is bad for me in the water. By the way , they don't even get their hair wet!!

Renie, The short answer is yes. The NJ State Sanitary Code Chapter iX Public Recreational Bathing (aka N.J.A.C 8:26 - Google it for a pdf copy) and NJ Uniform Construction Code N.J.A.C. 5:23 require showers and describe the requirements for sanitary facilities at pools including showers. Additionally, the specific subchapter of the sanitary code, NJAC 8:26-5.4, "Bather rules for swimming pools, wading pools, hot tubs and spas," states in section (a): "Rules governing admission, bathing, and conduct of patrons shall be conspicuously posted and shall include at a minimum the following provisions verbatim" and sub-paragraph 8. clearly states: "All persons shall shower before entering the water." Under the sanitation code the pool license can be suspended by the health department for not meeting microbiological water quality standards contained in these regulations and for not operating in compliance (see Subchapter 8 of 8:26). "Cloudy" water may not indicate a microbiological issue exists, although it is not a sign of good pool operation and in my experience generally indicates water quality is deteriorating. Cloudiness can sometimes result from dissolved gases (like air) in the water that aren't a problem. Your pool operators may not be sufficiently skilled to know what the problem is and fix it. Cloudiness also results from increasing suspended and colloidal solids in the water column that cause "turbidity" and that is supposed to be removed by the filter's operation. The colloidal/suspended particles harbor microbes on their surface and although the disinfectant should kill the microbes, they can "grow and hide" in the particles and be ingested. Pools and drinking water must be treated and kept at very low levels of turbidity to minimize this potential and to allow the disinfectant to work 100%.

Additionally, this is the time of year sunscreen/block is applied and should be removed before entering the pool. Watch out for the oil slicks ahead :afraid:

I had a brief, not altogether pleasant, period where I was an LA Fitness member. This was a few years ago. My membership period apparently overlapped with a corporate decision to outsource maintenance of their pools (at least here in the Chicago area). I believe that fundamentally meant that their staff either lost all information necessary to maintain the pool properly, or were perhaps instructed not to mess with it. I remember pool closings, cloudy water, low water level, credit from LAF for several months of membership fees (the pool was all I used), etc. At one point, I corresponded with the health inspector here in Evanston who said they had ongoing problems with LA Fitness related to their pool. Problems which put them on the health inspector's radar screen are going to be caused my more than a few sweaty weight lifters hopping into the pool without showering. I had to struggle to cancel my membership. Not long after that, they had a big problem with their pool at the location I used. Something leaked, and it flooded the store on the floor below. Never again... Sounds like what's going on in my pool. My neighborhood LA Fitness Center closed down and has been replaced by two different gyms.