Studies of Backwash Water Quality from a Swimming Pool Filter Plant in Terms of Their Discharge to Surface Water Bodies or into the Ground - a Case Study

Results of research on physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of effluents from backwashing of filter beds were presented for water treatment system of a selected swimming pool (waterpark). The aim of these studies was to evaluate potential to discharge the backwash water from rapid filter beds to a river or to drain them into the ground. Based on the physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of backwash water samples, degree of their contamination was determined with regard to the current quality requirements for wastewater discharged into surface water or soil as well as the requirements under the Water Law Act that defined water quality to be discharged from the analyzed pool. It was demonstrated that direct routing of the eluate from backwashing into the river or soil was impossible due to a high amount of total suspended solids and chlorine content. The concurrent efficacy testing of sedimentation and alum coagulation of backwash water performed under laboratory conditions demonstrated that the obtained supernatant water complied with the requirements and might be discharged into the river or drained into the ground.