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PUBLIC BATHS
The Minister of Health (Circular l/6o) has requested that
reference should be made to any public swimming baths in the
borough.
The Council have provided indoor swimming pools at the
Public Baths situated in North Kensington at the junction of
Lancaster Road and Silchester Road.
The original building was constructed about seventy years
ago and no major structural alterations have since taken place.
There were four swimming pools, two of which have now been discontinued.
The swimming pools now available are as follows:-
(1) The large mixed swimming pool.
(2) The small mixed swimming pool.
The large pool has an area of approximately 4,500 sq.ft.
and the smaller one is one-third of this area.
Both pools are available for swimming in the summer months,
mid-April to mid-October, but during the winter months only the large
pool will be available to the public.
The water used for swimming is taken from the Metropolitan
Water Board's supply at the commencement of the bathing season, and
throughout the season it is treated by a continuous filtration
system.
The filtration process consists of drawing water from the
deep end of the pool through a suitable strainer and, after the
addition of coagulants to flocculate organic matter and to obtain
efficient filtration, the water is pumped to the top of four
Vertical Air-Scoured Pressure Filters. The water, before filtration,
is sterilised; this is done by introducing chlorinated
water into the circulating flow from "Wallace & Tiernan" Automatic
Residual Chlorine Control equipment, with hydraulic solution feeder
for automatic pH Control. This gives an accurate method of controlling
the dosage. The chlorinator automatically injects water
chlorinated to the correct strength and at the same time adjusts
the doses to suit varying bathing loads. The amount of chlorination
provided operates on the principle of "breakpoint chlorination" and
is recorded on a chart from which the degree of sterilisation of the
water is known at any time during the swimming season.
The filter units consist of vertical closed cylinders
containing graded Non-Friable Leighton Buzzard Sand supported on a
bed of graded granite chippings, through which the water passes at
a rate of 230 gallons per square foot of filter area per hour.
The sand has to be washed regularly - this is done by steam and air
agitation and reversing the flow of water, which runs to waste and
carries impurities with it. Water taken from the pools is used
for the washing process.
The filtered water is then aerated, thereby assisting in
the maintenance of bacterial purity. It is then heated by
calorifiers to about 75°F. It re-enters the swimming pools
through suitable inlets at the shallow ends, and scum troughs have
been provided on the sides of the pools which draw off any pollution
which may accumulate near the surface, together with any dust
which settles thereon.