Swimming pools

see map http://www.carvoeiro.com/images/rochabrava_map.jpg
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guest121

Swimming pools

Post by guest121 »

I recived my monthly copy of Deco this month and rocha brava pools were mentioned along side 30 other complex pools, and it seems that there tests of the water showed rocha brava to be in a very bad condition and unfit really for swimming, I faxed the articale to RB lets see what they have to say!
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

What is Deco ?
Gambrinus
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Post by Gambrinus »

Deco is the defesa do consumidor or consumer defence....acn't think of the proper term for it now - the watchdogs that keep an eye on products and services to make sure they are up to standard.
marjie

Post by marjie »

Thanks. As a RB owner, naturally this is very worrying.
Is the Deco available online in English please?
We'd be interested to hear what RB has to say about the situation, although they are not the best at replying to any queries.
Gambrinus
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Post by Gambrinus »

Regarding the queries submitted about the deco report:

http://www.deco.proteste.pt/index.htm

http://www.deco.proteste.pt/Imprensa/sh ... eid=355731

From what I can see, this report was generated from a series of tests last year that were carried out with the consent of the involved urbanisations. In other words, out of the 80 developments DECO contacted, only 20 agreed to the testing. I do not have access to the full set of results on the webpage, but it seems that the pools that are out of shape from those that were tested are all mentioned in the article.

The article is concluded with a set of recommendations to both owners and users of communal pools, one point I would push any urbanisation to implement would be the construction of working showers and foot baths.
cember
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Post by cember »

And for those of us whose Portuguese is poor or non-existant

http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn


cut and paste 150 words at a time
Guest

Translation - not perfect, done in five minutes.

Post by Guest »

Between June and September of 2004, PRO TESTE visited twenty tourist establishments, in which were located a total of thirty eight swimming pools, and confirmed that more than half of those tested contained poor quality water – put otherwise, water improper for bathing. Excessive bacteria, some of which were pathogens and insufficient water cleansing were cited as the main problems encountered.

The main pools of Jardim do Vau, Aparthotel Aqualuz, Hotel Apartamento Alpinus and Vila Mos, as well as the children’s pools of Hotel Vilamoura Golf, Rocha Brava and (once again) Vila Mos, contained bacterial pathogens, which can cause several health problems, some of which can be serious. The swimming pools at Vale do Lobo, Vilar do Golf, Hotel Quinta do Lago, Aparthotel Albamoura and Bemposta apartments contained bacteria which indicated poor hygiene by way of contamination from faecal matter, and skin, nose and throat secretions. According to DECO “these swimming pools should be closed for cleaning, renovation and correct water treatment.”

“More than half of the establishments visited did wrong by having either excessive or insufficient chlorine” denounced PRO TESTE’S publication in June. Lack of chlorine does not guarantee sufficient decontamination of the water. When there is too much, it can cause irritation to swimmers eyes and noses, besides contributing to corrosion of the pool equipment. PH levels were also above the limits set down by law, meaning that the disinfectant processes are altered.

As far as information for consumers is concerned, although the displaying of the results of water analysis is obligatory, the large majority of establishments failed to provide this information to its clients. Information for swimmers was frequently limited just to the pH level, the amount of disinfectant and the temperature: facts which say little to swimmers about the quality of the water in which they are bathing.

For this study, DECO PROTESTE contacted almost 80 establishments across the country, of which only 20 agreed to collaborate. The publication encourages transparency in the industry, even in cases where establishments may be badly represented.

According to PRO TESTE those responsible for tourist establishments should concern themselves with water treatment and act swiftly when irregularities are discovered. At the end of the day, they already have a range of tests to achieve this, such as pH control and chlorine levels.

It is also essential that the conditions are adapted to the number of swimmers. It is a fact that whilst the water may be acceptable in the morning, when the tests are performed, this may change as the day goes on. As such, according to this agency, the correct time to perform these tests is at times of greatest use, in order to achieve the required levels. As we need to take greater care where children are concerned, the water in the children’s pool should be changed regularly.

When constructing a swimming pool to serve a tourist establishment, it will be necessary to design the dimensions according to the number of swimmers predicted. If the pool is too small for the number of users, the water can only be of poor quality.

DECO believes that the exchequer, going through the secretary for commerce, services and tourism, must complete legislation which obligates tourist establishments to fulfil the large part of the requirements laid down by various water agencies. Furthermore, foot-baths with running water and signage which makes information about the pool clear to its users should also be made obligatory.

As far as the consumers are concerned, they too can take care when using pools. Taking a shower before entering the water, using flip-flops to protect the skin, preventing illness, are essential measures. It is also desirable that children still in nappies do not use adult pools.
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