Building a therapeutic Kneipp Pool (shallow treading pool)

[kenle]

Hi all,

I'm planning to construct a therapeutic Kneipp Pool. It's basically a shallow treading pool that we’re looking to build for a small boutique hotel/spa project in Colombo, Sri Lanka. These are quite popular in Europe, but it will be a first for this country.

I would also appreciate your input on equipment and design. Below is a photo of what I’m talking about.



The blue connected pools are cold water (temp 17C/62F, volume 225L/59gallons). Red connected pools are heated water (temp 38C/100F, 225L/59gallons).
Total volume (4 sections): (450L / 118 gallons)

To separately circulate hot and cold water, I assume that I will need two small pumps/sand filters, or combo units (plus a 3kW heater). For sanitation I was advised emptying the pools each day was not good enough, but instead to use a small saltwater chlorinator.

Does anyone have any experience building anything like this? Any guidance/suggestions would be appreciated.

Many thanks!
Ken

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

I doubt you will find anyone how has built anything like that hear ... we are mostly a bunch of residential pool owners

That said, we might be able to offer some insights. Do people just walk through these?
For sanitation, you have to ensure no person to person transmission of disease is possible. So, just draining and cleaning daily would not be good enough. Ideally you would do that between each client using the tubs.

I am not sure a SWG is the way to go either as that would require to you to balance the salt each day you drained as well and they are pretty slow to add chlorine (although given the small volume of water, that might be able to add it fairly fast).

The key to being sanitary is to always maintaining enough sanitizer (chlorine) in the water at all times to kill any pathogens in the water introduced by the clients.

 

[jimmythegreek]

The problem w sanitation on a small volume of water is the ratio. For instance if someone pees into 1 section it would be like 100 to 1 ratio where a pool would be thousands to 1 so much more chem needed. And forget pee how about sweaty bodies from pool to pool thru the day? I would think some type of UV system w some chem would be the way to do this. The pump can turn that water over quick in 5 mins at best and can be clean if it can be sanitized instantly. That's what u need to figure out the plumbing and equip is fairly simple

 

[kenle]

Many thanks Jimmy and Jason for your input.

Anyway, I can see now that the main issue is one of sanitation. Perhaps I can check around to see what some of these pre-built unit manufacturers are doing, then report back to you guys for some feedback. So far I know:

1. Daily emptying is not an option.
2. SWG may also be insufficient.
3. UV is a possible 'instantly sanitising' solution as suggested earlier.

Just to clarify what this actually is, here is some more background info:

• Yes people basically hold onto the rail and walk through these alternating hot and cold sections. The original designs just have cold water, so people were instructed to lift one foot out of the water and slowly walk around in alternating cycles.
• There is a therapeutic benefit as it increases circulation and provides an invigorating experience.
• They are now also popular in many modern European spas, various spa companies appear to be constructing them.
• This appears to be quite an old tradition. Here is another Kneipp pool from many years ago that still exists somewhere in the foothills of the Bavarian alps.
• Large modern Kneipp Walking Pool and Ice Bath at the Mandarin Oriental in HK.
• 

 

[kenle]

Hi Guys,

I have checked with several sanitiser unit suppliers and received various suggestions and guidance.

It appears that Jimmy's approach utilising the UV for sanitising is generally accepted as being pretty effective considering the small volume of water.

So far I have this one that I'm discussing details with the manufacturer on:

Blue Lagoon TA220 UV-C Tech 16 W

Also i'm still waiting to hear back from several therapeutic 'Kneipp Pool' full stainless steel unit manufacturers to see what methods they are using.


NB. Not sure if Jimmy was joking about someone peeing into the pool, but I certainly hope they don't pee whilst using this half foot deep 'walking/treading pool'!! Never know i guess.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Ken