News & Updates

Safety Training Awards (STA) is pleased to announce the launch of the updated STA Level 3 Award in Pool Plant Operations (PPO) qualification for all courses starting on and after Monday 10th January 2022.

Following the release of the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group’s (PWTAG) updated Code of Practice, STA in collaboration with the Pool Plant working group have updated the PPO qualification resources and qualification assessment materials to reflect the new guidelines.

As well as updating the PPO qualification resources, STA has also produced a summary of changes document (hyperlink to document), which highlights, for easy reference, the key changes in the
PPO Resource Manual. The updated resources are now available to download from STA Online, and the STA Pool Plant Operations resource manual can be ordered from the swim-shop.

The new resources include:

• STA Pool Plant Operations Resource Manual
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Revision Packs
• MCQ Assessment Papers
• Qualification Specification.

The updated assessment papers will be distributed for all courses starting on and after Monday 10th January 2022, therefore the updated resources must be used from this date. If an Approved Training Centre (ATC) is using the current STA Pool Plant Operations resource manual (v20.1), a copy of the STA Summary of Changes document must be provided to ensure learners have the correct information for the assessment. For ease, within STA Online a copy of the summary of changes document along with a page insert document containing pages of the resource manual which have significant changes, can be downloaded, printed, and inserted into the manuals.

As part of the qualification review, the Principles of Pool Water Testing unit has been relevelled at a level 3, the guided learning hours for this unit remain unaffected. The Multiple-Choice Question Assessment pass mark for the Principles of Pool Water Testing unit has also been adjusted to 16 out of 21, this will come into effect for all courses starting on and after Monday 10th January 2022.

Please note further to the review it has been agreed the ratio of pool testing equipment to every learner has changed to 1 photometer or comparator to every 6 learners on courses from 2022.
 
STA would like to make ATCs and Pool Plant Tutors aware of two significant technical changes to the resources following the review:

• Pool water test sampling points

They should routinely be taken at the deep end and furthest from the inlets – the most vulnerable part of the pool – and occasionally elsewhere.

• pH, disinfection parameters and STA Traffic Light System

All updated in line with PWTAG’s latest guidance.

pH Values

For pools, PWTAG recommend a pH value of between 7.0 and 7.4 to be the range when using chlorine-based disinfectants and ideally 7.0 to 7.2 for a better disinfectant effect.

Disinfectant Values

The values below – indeed, any values – require validation by satisfactory bacteriological water quality standards.

• For all swimming pools using hypochlorite, assuming the pH value is 7.0 to 7.2, the free chlorine levels should be maintained at 1mg/l or below, to an absolute minimum of 0.75mg/l provided that a satisfactory bacteriological quality can be maintained.
• Where pools cannot achieve pH values of 7.0 to 7.2, they must increase the concentration of free chlorine to 2.0mg/l for pH 7.2 to 7.4. The use of non-residual disinfection (UV or ozone) can help minimise the required free chlorine levels. These values can be achieved only where the pool is designed, engineered and operated well – with effective pre-swim hygiene and not overloaded.
• For outdoor pools and interactive water features using stabilised chlorine (chlorinated isocyanurates) or cyanuric acid, free chlorine should be maintained at 5mg/l and the cyanuric acid at no more than 100mg/l. For outdoor pools just using hypochlorite the free chlorine levels should be risk assessed and potentially operated between 3.0 to 5.0mg/l.

The STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Pool Water Testing and the STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Pool Water Treatment are currently being updated and new resources will be announced and made available in 2022.

PWTAG’s latest Code of Practice and its summary of changes in full can be found here. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us qualificationdevelopment@safetytrainingawards.co.uk.