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Water Quality and Maintenance
GLOSSARY
The following chemical terms are used in this Water Quality and
Maintenance section. Understanding their meaning will help you to
better understand the water maintenance process.
Bromamines:
Compounds formed when bromine combines with
nitrogen from body oils, urine, perspiration, etc. Unlike chloramines,
bromamines have no pungent odor, and are effective sanitizers.
Bromine:
A halogen sanitizer (in the same chemical family as chlorine).
Bromine is commonly used in stick, tablet, or granular form however,
stick and tablet form should NOT be used.
Calcium Hardness:
The amount of dissolved calcium in the
RECSPORT
Recreation System water. This should be approximately
75 -150 ppm. High levels of calcium can cause cloudy water and scaling.
Low levels can cause harm to the
RECSPORT
Recreation System
equipment.
Chloramines:
Compounds formed when chlorine combines with
nitrogen from body oils, urine, perspiration, etc. Chloramines can cause
eye irritation as well as having a strong odor. Unlike bromamines,
chloramines are weaker, slower sanitizers.
Chlorine:
An efficient sanitizing chemical for
RECSPORT
Recreation
Systems. Watkins Wellness recommends the use of sodium dichlor-type
granulated chlorine or liquid sodium hypochlorite.
Chlorine (or Bromine) Residual:
The amount of chlorine or bromine
remaining after chlorine or bromine demand has been satisfied. The
residual is, therefore, the amount of sanitizer which is chemically available to
kill bacteria, viruses and algae.
Corrosion:
The gradual wearing away of metal and plastic
RECSPORT
Recreation System parts, usually caused by chemical action. Generally,
corrosion is caused by low pH or by water with levels of TA, CH, pH or
sanitizer which are outside the recommended ranges.
Halogen:
Any one of these five elements: fluorine, chlorine, bromine,
iodine, and astatine.
MPS:
Monopersulfate is a non-chlorine oxidizer.
Nitric Acid:
The formulation of nitric acid, a highly corrosive chemical,
is a byproduct of the ozone generating process. Nitric acid is produced
in very small quantities and is readily dissolved in the water stream with
ozone.
Oxidizer:
The use of an oxidizing chemical is to prevent the buildup of
contaminants, maximize sanitizer efficiency, minimize combined chlorine
and improve water clarity. See MPS and Ozone.
Ozone:
Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent which is produced in
nature and artificially by man. Ozone forms no byproducts, oxidizes
chloramines, and will not alter the water’s pH.
pH:
The measure of the
RECSPORT
Recreation System water’s acidity
and alkalinity. The recommended pH for the
RECSPORT
Recreation
System water is 7.2 to 7.8. Below 7.0 (considered neutral), the
RECSPORT
Recreation System water is too acidic and can damage
the heating system. Above 7.8, the water is too alkaline and can result in
cloudy water, and scale formation on the shell and heater.
ppm:
The abbreviation of “parts per million”, the standard measurement
of chemical concentration in water. Identical to mg/l (milligrams per liter).
Reagent:
A chemical material in liquid, powder, or tablet form for use in
chemical testing.
Sanitizer:
Sanitizers are added and maintained at recommended
residuals to protect bathers against pathogenic organisms which can
cause disease and infection in
RECSPORT
Recreation System water.
Scale:
Rough calcium-bearing deposits that can coat
RECSPORT
Recreation System surfaces, heaters, plumbing lines, and clog filters.
Generally, scaling is caused by mineral content combined with high pH.
Additionally, scale forms more readily at higher water temperatures.
Sodium Hypochlorite (Liquid chlorine/bleach):
Unstabilized (without
cyanuric acid) chlorine in liquid form. Very effective however it has a very
high pH and requires acid adjustment to maintain water parameters.
Never add acid directly to chlorine.
Super-Chlorination:
Also known as “shock treatment.” Super-
Chlorination is a process of adding significant doses of a quick dissolving
sanitizer (“dichlor” is recommended) to oxidize non-filterable organic
waste and to remove chloramines and bromamines.
Total Alkalinity (TA):
The amount of bicarbonates, carbonates, and
hydroxides present in
RECSPORT
Recreation System water. Proper
total alkalinity is important for pH control. If the TA is too high, the pH is
difficult to adjust. If the TA is too low, the pH will be difficult to hold at the
proper level. The desired range of TA in
RECSPORT
Recreation System
water is 80 to 120 ppm.
