Anderlecht (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Flow swimming pool utilizing a biological filtration system has temporarily closed due to high visitor numbers and water quality issues. The eco-friendly method struggled to maintain clean water amid increased demand leading to elevated pollutant levels.
At Flow the swimming pool uses a biological filtration system instead of regular chlorine treatments. The water is constantly moved in a closed loop between the pool and three sea containers that have biological filters. These filters have aquatic plants and tiny organisms that work together to keep the water clean. The plants take in nutrients and pollutants while the microorganisms break down waste making sure the water stays clean and balanced. This eco-friendly method removes the need for chemical cleaners, making the swimming environment more natural and sustainable. Environmentalist mentioned that by using natural processes to keep the water clean Flow provides a healthier option compared to regular pool maintenance which is good for both the environment and the people using the pool.
Can Flow pool’s eco-friendly filtration system handle increased demand?
Plant filters in biological water treatment systems use water plants tiny organisms and natural materials to clean water. This method is good for the environment because it reduces the use of chemicals and energy and helps support different types of plants and animals. However plant filters have a set capacity based on how they are designed which means they can’t easily adjust to sudden changes in water use like when more people visit a swimming pool. When there are more visitors than the plant filter can handle the biological system can get overwhelmed causing the water quality to drop temporarily. Unlike chemical treatment systems that can quickly change chemical amounts to deal with more usage, plant filters need time to recover and get back to being effective. This downtime is needed for the ecosystem to rebalance and manage contaminants again, which makes plant filters less adaptable to changing demands.
The Flow swimming pool has had problems because of high temperatures and unusual weather which have brought in more visitors. According to the pool’s website this increase in activity has put a lot of stress on their ecological water purification system. The system which depends on natural processes and plant filters has been having a hard time keeping up with the extra demand. Routine lab tests showed that 2 out of 9 water quality measurements were higher than the official limits set in Brussels. Because of this the pool has decided to close temporarily as a safety measure. They will keep the pool closed until the water quality is back to acceptable levels. The pool hopes to restore the water quality by the weekend at the earliest so they can reopen once everything is stable and meets the required standards.
