FAQs

To reduce pool contamination any child under the age of 3 years must wear a swimming nappy such as a disposable "little swimmer", or a reusable swimming nappy. These must be a tight/snug fit around the waist and legs. We have both option available for purchase at reception.

Please note when a baby soils their swimming nappy you must exit the pool immediately and change the baby. Swimming nappies will only hold the contents for a short period of time, and can still leak out if not removed from the pool water quickly enough.

To make the pool safe again, we have to evacuate the affected pool immediately and commence decontamination, which can be a lengthy process.

• As a PoolSafe Accredited Pool, we must abide by the New Zealand Pool Water Quality Standards (NZS 5826:2010).
• Faecal matter or vomit from another human can carry dangerous diseases like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Closing the pool ensures these potential risk are not spread to other pool users.
• All faecal incidents must be noted and recorded, with the information available to the Health Department should a notifiable disease outbreak occur.

What happens before the pool can be repoened?

• The pool must be evacuated and isolated immediately once faecal has been identified.
• Removal of any solid matter.
• The pool must then be dosed with high levels of chlorine to kill any living germs in the water (chlorine must be dosed in excess of 100 mg/l). This level is not safe for humans to swim in.
• Once the chlorine levels in the pool have increased to above 5mg/l, the pool water must remain at this level for a minimum of 30 minutes or (depending on the size of the pool) one full turn over.
• The pool vacuum cleaner is put into the pool to collect any other pieces that may have been missed or that are too small for the human eye to locate
• The pool must be retested to ensure the additional chlorine has dispersed (below 5mg/l) before we can allow people to re-enter the pool.

Why can't the perpetrator be fined?

• Some of the incidents we treat can be as small as grains of rice, which can make it hard to spot instantly and then narrow down who 'done it'.
• Most people are embarrassed and leave instantly before the faecal matter has been spotted.
• Accidents do happen and if someone becomes ill quickly, they may have no warning.

It is a great habit to shower before you enter the pool as it will eliminate contaminations into the pool such as moisturisers.

To keep our pools looking sparkling blue, we need to reduce the amount of contaminants like moisturisers from entering the pool. Showering helps this!

It is also a great idea to go to the toilet before entering the pool and showering, this can limit the number of faecal accidents (code browns).

We know some children choose to hold on, so they don't miss out on the fun. Ensuring your child goes to the toilet before swimming could prevent these accidents.

No. It is the law that children must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver over the age of 16 years. Children under 8 years must be actively supervised by a parent/caregiver. Under 5 years must be within arm's length of their parent/caregiver at all times.

Yes it would be greatly appreciated that the staff are aware that you have a medical condition. This means that staff can cater for your needs and will be aware if assistance is required.