Spa o VIA?

SPA, an acronym of the Latin phrase “Salus Per Aquam” means “health through water.”
VIA, acronym for the Latin phrase “In Venenum Aquam” means “Poison in the Water”

Unfortunately, many private swimming pools, in hotels and spas, are nothing more than “VIA” type pools.
This is absolutely not the result of a bad choice by the owner, but rather a set of misunderstandings ac- cumulated over more than thirty years. No doubt can be raised about the clear role of chlorine in the fight against diseases such as cholera and typhoid which occurred thanks to its use in treating drinking water. These results are also obtained in swimming pools and spas. During my travels around the world, I noticed that hotels’ indoor pools are not widely used by cus- tomers. In fact, many of them being owners of swim- ming pools, they easily note that the hotel pool gives off an unpleasant odour that their own pool does not. So they conclude that these are “VIA” pools. I am sure that everyone knows the saying “eve- rything in moderation”. Drinking one or two glasses of a good red wine every night can mean “In Vino Est Gaudium” or “In wine there is joy”. However, drinking one or two bottles of the same wine means “In vino Est Venenum” or “In wine there is poison”. What is the rela- tionship between red wine and chlorine? They are identical if consumed in excessive quanti- ties. An expanse of water is a living, dynamic, and energetic element of nature and deserves the same respect that we show to our body. I would not advise drinking a glass of liquid so- dium hypochlorite (bleach) and hydrochloric acid like you would drink a cocktail, to provide for the maintenance of the digestive functions of your stomach or your bloodstream. Yet it is exactly what we do with our pools. Chlorine or other chemicals are used in a way that could be called the “seesaw effect” with disastrous consequences. Our pools and spas are in a state of permanent “debauchery”, drunk one minute and sober the next. Who would want to stay in this situation if there is the chance to get out of it? Now let’s get back to the “chlorine smell”. If you take a bucket and put one teaspoon of liquid sodium hypochlorite or bleach in 200 tea- spoons of distilled water you can’t smell any chlorine (similar concentrations to a pool or spa). So what am I smelling in my water pool at my estab- lishment? Here comes the double edged sword. There can be no doubt that chlorine is the only effective sani- tiser that maintains an effective residual against bacte- ria, nature tells us so in animals and plants. However, in combating bacteria some other nasty reactions are happening, where in the chlorine is combining with sweat and urine to form chloramines and organic mat- ter such as; dead skin cells, vegetative matter, dirt, sunscreens and body lotions combine with chlorine to form trihalo- methanes (chloroform). I don’t intend to be an alarmist, but ask that you do two simple Google searches on “chloramines health risks” and “trihalomethanes health risks”. You will be blown away by what you find. One particular study in Belgium likened 2 hours in an indoor pool breathing fumes from disinfection by products equivalent to smoking a packet of cigarettes. The chemical formula for a trihalomethane (THM) puts it in the hydro-carbon category which is a primary constituent of cigarette smoke.
The Biodesign philosophy is geared to ensure the best bathing experience for bathers and at the same time absolute respect for the environ- ment. For this reason, we have identified spe- cific products and procedures to allow our customers to have the best water quality and for service personnel to qualify their actions.
It is widely believed that with just chlorine and acid to reduce the pH all problems can be solved, and often the treatments carried out in pools are reduced to the addition of these two products. With special manuals, training courses, and maintenance guides Biodesign is able to reduce the use of chemicals and en- able customers to identify the causes of prob- lems and indicate their specific resolution.
The identification of the pool’s specific prob- lems with the consequent reduction in use of chemicals and the ability to maintain water balance so that it is not aggressive are among the main factors that enable better treatment and a longer lifespan of the pool’s surface.
Specific equipment and water treatment products certified and produced in Italy en- able us to offer quality treatments with maximum consideration for the health of bathers and the environment.