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22
Purification of Swimming-bath Water.—The water of the swimming baths is subjected to
continuous filtration and chlorination. During the year consideration was given to the possible
advantage of substituting chloramination as a method of sterilisation of the swimming-bath water,
but as will be seen from the bacteriological report which follows, the present method appears to be
efficient. It has been decided that no change in method is warranted at present.
Bacteriological Examination of Swimming-bath Water.—During the season from April to
September samples of water for bacteriological examination were taken from each of the four baths
on five occasions, a total of 23 samples being taken. Three further samples were taken in December
from the one bath then in use.
The samples were obtained in sterile, screw-capped bottles, which were filled by a swimmer
at the positions in the bath indicated in the following table. The bottles were then taken immediately
for culture to the laboratory of the Princess Louise Hospital.
When the test was taken on the 16th September, arrangements were made for the samples
to be taken and cultures planted immediately, in order to eliminate any action of free chlorine in
the water on bacteria during transit to the laboratory. It will be seen from this report that there
is no significant difference between the total cell-counts under the two methods.