Splash Pad Navigation in 2021 ( Continued from page 14)
6) Adding or modifying for more touch free activators
get onto them, to make sure everything is intact, and order any required parts early. There has always been the opportunity for bad microorganisms to affect our lives. Knowing what they are and how to control them is part of our obligation to the people who use our park spaces. I always encourage those who maintain splash pads to take the splash pad course offered by OPA. It is good risk management, builds up your work team and like any other apparatus you may operate, knowledge gained is money well spent! 2021 will be a new year with new challenges, and the more prepared we are, the more successful we will be!
This is what we know about COVID-19 and water. Whether a once-through system or recirculated, clean, disinfected H20 is not likely to carry COVID-19. As a virus, it is actually very susceptible to disinfectant, so it is not expected to survive in chlorinated water. Essentially, the virus will not be transmitted by the water. Transmission is mostly airborne and minimally contact based. The Center for Disease Control has stated that “COVID-19 cannot survive properly treated pool and hot tub water”. Dr. Roy Vore, a renowned microbiologist and expert in aquatics disinfection, stated in a recent webinar with Clear Aquatics, that proper training is the key to reducing recreational water illness as a whole. Training will help the operator understand their role in proper disinfection and cleaning in an ever changing world. Other items you want to review before opening in 2021, especially if you operated in a short season, or did not open at all, is verifying the condition of equipment on site and any stored equipment. Your normal fall routine may have been disrupted, so take extra care to make sure you are ready for spring 2021. Review your splash pads as soon as you can
Stay Safe, Be Kind! Scott
Scott Bowron, President of Clear Aquatics Inc, instructs the OPA Spray Pad Practitioner Course. Scott is a Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Instructor, and has a career in the recreation and water industry. scottbowron@clearaquatics. ca, 226.448.4020. Thank you: • Photo of Splash Pad - Courtesy of ABC Recreation • Photo of Child in Funbrella - Courtesy of Openspace Solutions
Page 15
Ontario Parks Association
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator