66 swimming pools, hot tubs hit with ‘high’ hazard ratings
Larry Pynn
Sun
The Best Western Hotel on the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge, one of three of the Phoenix, Ariz.,-based chain’s hotels to be given a high hazard rating by water inspectors, was cited by Fraser Health Authority for hygiene problems with its hot tub. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay/Vancouver Sun
The Ramada Inn, on the Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam, was among a number of hotels that received a high hazard rating for its swimming pool. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay/Vancouver Sun
Burnaby’s Holiday Inn Metrotown was given a high hazard rating for its swimming pool by the Fraser Health Authority. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay/Vancouver Sun
You’ve had a long hard day, and now it’s time — ahhhh — for a soothing soak in the hot tub or a refreshing swim in the pool of your hotel or condo development.
But even as the stress slips away, there is a nagging question in the back of your mind: is this water safe?
Turns out the answer too often is no, and that the same hotel that may caringly vacuum the carpets and ensures clean towels are on the rack might be failing to meet health standards poolside.
An extensive survey by The Vancouver Sun of Fraser Health Region inspection reports has found 66 pools and hot tubs — mainly in hotel and condo developments — that received a “high” hazard rating for failing to meet provincial health regulations so far this year.
Pool and hot tub violations typically involve a lack of disinfectant, improper pH balance, poor water clarity, improper water temperature and levels, failure to keep daily records, and maintain change rooms, handrails, and poor equipment such as flow meters and skimmers.
“If they’re not maintaining it properly, we’re in there, inspecting them, and letting them know,” said Surjeet Gill, health protection manager for the Fraser Health Region.
The authority provides the following definition for a high-hazard rating: “Significant problems were noted related to sanitation and/or infection-control procedures.
“The facility’s current operation significantly increases the risk of infection to clients and the operator must take immediate corrective action. The facility is approaching the highest level of risk considered acceptable for its continued operation. The facility may be closed if conditions worsen or the operator fails to eliminate the hazards.”
Don’t think the problem applies merely to flea-bag operations. The hotels cited by health inspectors are among North America‘s largest and most familiar chains.
Best Western had three hotels with high-hazard ratings: Maple Ridge (hot tub), Langley (pool) and Aldergrove (pool and hot tub). The Sun sought comment from the Best Western International Inc. corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz., but no one called back.
Other hotels to violate health regulations included Ramada Inn in Surrey (pool) and Coquitlam (pool); Holiday Inn Metrotown in Burnaby (pool) and Holiday Inn Express in Langley (hot tub); and Hilton (hot tub) in Metrotown Burnaby.
The Travelodge Chilliwack achieved one of the worst records of compliance of any facility.
The hotel’s hot tub had a total of five high-hazard ratings during separate inspections between January and October for issues such as water temperature, disinfection, flow meter and re-circulation systems out of compliance. The hot tub also had high ratings twice in November 2006.
The pool, meanwhile, received high ratings in November 2006, and twice in June 2007.
Both the pool and hot tub are now at a low-hazard level. The hotel refused to comment.
Gill said that it is important to properly balance pH levels and maintain disinfectants such as chlorine or bromine to protect against the spread of skin diseases and irritation of the skin and eyes.
He said it’s especially important to properly maintain hot tubs because of the greater chance of spreading bacteria in a relative low volume of water; the higher temperature also allows chlorine to dissipate faster.
“The degree of risk is high in recreational water facilities,” Gill said. “There are so many variables — temperature, chlorine levels, pH, and the constant maintenance of these. Naturally, you’ll find more high-hazard facilities.”
He added that it’s important to keep the hot tub no hotter than 104 Celsius to avoid potential heart attacks.
Pool decks must also be disinfected to ward against transmission of ailments such as athlete’s foot.
Standards are set out under the Health Act’s Swimming Pool, Spray Pool, and Wading Pool Regulations.
Condo developments that feature common-use pools and hot tubs can just as easily fall afoul of the regulations.
Some of the condos given high-hazard ratings included Central Park Place (pool and hot tub) and Parkside Manor (hot tub) in Burnaby; Carnarvon Place (hot tub) and Promenade (hot tub) in New Westminster; Odyssey Towers and the Southmere Villa in Surrey; and the Embassy (hot tub) and Monterey (hot tub) in White Rock.
And while condos may contract out maintenance of pools and hot tubs, it is the strata that is ultimately responsible for ensuring health regulations are being met.
One of the more surprising facilities to make the list is the hot tub/therapeutic pool at the B.C. Lions training facility in Surrey.
The hot tub received high-hazard ratings for failing to maintain the pH balance and maintain water clarify, with similar past ratings dating back to 2003.
One can image a team of big sweaty players cramming the tub, then driving home with red rashes.
But the football team’s head trainer Bill Reichelt insists that’s not the case. “Not a big deal at all, actually.”
He said “every one of those times pretty well” the problem resulted from the hot tub’s lack of maintenance when the team is away on a road trip.
When players return home, they do not go into the water until the water condition has been made compliant, he insisted. “It’s not like a normal facility, where it’s used every day.”
The Fitness 2000 hot tub on Erickson Drive in Burnaby scored high-hazard ratings in January and February, for issues such as adequate pH controls, incomplete or lack of posted safety rules, and operating permit not posted in a conspicuous location.
One public facility to make the list is the Ladner Outdoor Swimming Pool, which received a high-hazard rating in August for “drinking water available not in compliance” and violations related to flow balance and pool water levels out of compliance. A follow-up inspection one week later reduce the hazard rating to low.
To view health inspection results for pools and hot tubs in the Fraser Health Region, visit www.healthspace.com/Clients/FHA/FHA_Website.nsf/Env-Frameset. Click on “recreational water” then “facilities and inspections” under quick links. There is a list of municipalities on the left.
Note that pools and hot tubs in private homes are exempt from the health regulations, as are those in bed-and-breakfast operations based out of single-family dwellings.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority — which covers Richmond, Vancouver, North Shore, Sea to Sky and Sunshine Coast — lists restaurant inspections, but not pool and hot tub inspections on its website.
Nick Losito, Vancouver Coastal’s regional director of health protection, said the authority is “probably six months to a year out from adding these to our public portal.”
