Challenge

Zehnders Splash Valley is a 30,000 sq ft indoor water park with a whirlpool, activity pool, lazy river with plunge, children's pool, and spray pad.  The park opened this past summer in Frankenmuth, Mich., home to the world's largest Christmas store.  The water park expects pool usage to peak during the holiday shopping season.

Most pool chemical controllers measure ORP and pH.  Health department typically want to see chlorine measured as PPM.  While some controllers on the market can read and control chlorine levels via PPM, chlorine control via ORP is generally accepted as a more reliable method for maintaining proper sanitation and oxidation in the water.

In building the new water park, Zehnders asked design-build consultant Neuman Pools, Inc. of Beaver Dam, Wis., to come up with a solution that would satisfy health department demands for measuring PPM and the need for proper oxidation and sanitation through ORP control.

Solution

Neuman Pools recommended installing four Strantrol MG/L 5 controllers from Siemens Water Technologies.  According to Christopher Neuman, project manager at Neuman Pools,  the controller offers several features not found in other controllers.  In addition to simultaneous PPM/ORP control, the MG/L 5 controller also has an adaptation mode that automatically compensates for the lag time between the controller signaling chemical to be fed and the chemicals actually reaching the pool.

"This feature is nice because it prevents the controller from overfeeding chemicals because of the lag time," says Neuman.

The Strantrol MG/L 5 controller's flow and filter pressure sensors are easy to read and simple to install.  Optional cards allow the controller to receive influent and effluent data as well as system flow measurements.

The four interconnected MG/L 5 controllers are wired into a ChemWeb-Server, an Internet-based monitoring device.  This, in turn, is connected to the facility's main server.  As the ChemWeb-Server is accessible via the Internet, pool operators and Strantrol service technicians are able to make any necessary adjustments remotely.  Easy to set up and password protected, the data logging device requires no proprietary software, which saves both time and money.

Results

"Operators find the Strantrol MG/L 5 controllers a breeze to operate and maintain," reports Chris Bartnikowski, aquatics manager at Zehnders Splash Village.  "The calibration process is easy, the menu is very intuitive and the chemical control is solid."