Suggestions

Reducing operating costs - by recycling water

What can you do with dirty backflushing water? Follow the lead of Butzbach's public swimming pool operator (Germany) and intelligently treat the water with modern filtration and desalination systems and then return it to the pool water circuit.

Major refurbishment project

The picturesque town of Butzbach (Germany) with its historical marketplace and numerous half-timbered buildings is a popular destination for a day out in Hesse. However, maintaining the centuries-old timber buildings is an expensive job. And even modern buildings, like the town's swimming pool, need freshening up every now and then. So a few years ago, a decision was taken to undertake a major refurbishment. The main priority for Butzbach's pool operator was a low-cost and progressive solution which would turn the dirty backflushing water back into clean and hygienically perfect pool water – and reduce operating costs at the same time.

Key data

  • Major refurbishment of the town's swimming pool
  • Treatment of backflushing water with filtration system Dulcoclean® UF and reverse osmosis system Dulcosmose® ecoPRO for desalination
  • A pool facility which runs economically in the long term

Efficient process engineering

As part of the refurbishment work, ProMinent installed an ultrafiltration system Dulcoclean® UF , a reverse osmosis system Dulcosmose® ecoPRO and an active carbon filter in the Butzbach pool in just four days. The individual components are fitted in line so that the backflushing water is treated in several stages. During filtration, the heated backflushing water loses virtually no heat and is returned to the pool water circuit after the filtering process.
The Dulcoclean® UF system reliably removes turbidity, particles and microbiological contamination. A PLC ensures the fully automatical and highly reliable operation of the filtration system integrated in the pool's building management system. The hygiene parameters can be easily entered on a touch panel and recorded electronically. Using suitable high-performance diaphragms, the Dulcosmose® ecoPRO removes more than 99% of the salt from the filtered backflushing water. The system is easy to operate and can be perfectly incorporated into a customised solution through tailored pre- and post-treatment.

The right investments for smart savings

After the 21-month renovation project, the refurbished pool was reopened in August 2013. Visitors can now enjoy a pool with six 25-metre lanes and two diving boards (1 and 3 metres high). There is also a separate area for non-swimmers and a newly designed play area for kids with two paddling pools.
Through the newly installed system technology for treating the backflushing water, the Butzbach pool operator is now saving huge quantities of fresh water every year and energy consumption has fallen significantly, as have the pool's total operating costs – the original objective has clearly been met. It is also worth mentioning that the pool staff received product training in seminars run by ProMinent in Heidelberg, allowing the Butzbach pool operator to operate and maintain the water treatment system itself.

»The sludge water treatment system from ProMinent GmbH has run smoothly since being commissioned.
Rather than discharging water to the sewers after filter backflushing, we can now return it to our pool circuit, saving more fresh water from the potable water supply.« - 
Carsten Schnitter, head of operations at Butzbach's pool facilities

Contact us

Wesley Sutton

Managing Director, ProMinent Fluid Controls UK Ltd.

»We are always available to help. Don't hesitate to contact us.«

+44 1530 560 555  Send request   

Further practical examples of this industry

ProMinent Newsletter - receive latest news, customized for you! subscribe now