PWTAG Annual Conference 2023 – The Sustainable Pool

Stef is the founder of NoviNato. Together with Prof. Dr. P. Lievens , he developed and tested the alternative electrodisinfection system in several public swimming pools in Belgium in the period 2015 2023.He has a Master in Physical Education, a Master in Swimming Sciences, a Master in Sports Management and is a Level A swimming coach.He has worked as a scientific assistant at the swimming laboratory of the University of Leuven, as a marketing manager for several pharmaceutical companies and as a manager of a commercial swimming pool in Brussels.In the swimming world he is known as a Level A swim coach, president of the Watersafety Academy and member of the Commission on Best Available Techniques for Swimming Pools.Conference topic – Reducing chlorine by combining it with Electro Disinfection: the disinfecting principles of ECD, the practical implications for use in swimming pools and the cost effectiveness.

Founder & Director of Ultraaqua A/S and inBlue AB.Master of Science, Lecturer and PhD student. Assistant professor in Process and Waste water treatment in aquaculture at Aalborg University.Assistant professor and project head on innovation of new water treatment technology for land based aquaculture, that was financed by the Danish Ministry of the Environment through Aalborg University.Conference topic – An alternative to traditional filtration. The inBlue holistic concept with drum filters in Denmark and Sweden.

Stephen has 20 years’ experience in building services engineering and has particular specialisms in swimming and aquatics design, and in science laboratory and engineering facilities.The combination of Stephen’s swimming pools and laboratories experience provides a unique perspective and creative insight issues of process energy consumption, corrosion, materials selection, user experience and controls integration are among the many common topics in which Stephen is able to bring together best practice from across diverse building typologies.Conference topic – Delivering the UK’s first Passivhaus Leisure Centre.

Architect for St.Sidwells Point, from Space & Place, headed up our architectural team with Support from Gale & Snowden low energy specialists and ARUP structures, services and filtration.Conference topic – St. Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre, a world first.

Tom is the founder and a Director of Devin Consulting Limited, aquatic engineering specialists for swimming pool and health spa water treatment systems, movable floors and booms, decorative and interactive water features. Tom is a Director of the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG).He has completed over two hundred water projects, including the Dubai aquatic Centre, the London Aquatic Centre, the Zaha Hadid , Centre Parcs Ireland, Sandwell Aquatic Centre .Tom has presented papers at IAKS, PWTAG, ASA and Swimming Pool & Spa International Conferences.Conference topic with James Coombes – Net Zero Carbon pools principles, practice and Passivhaus.

James is a Senior Project Engineer of Devin Consulting Limited, aquatic engineering specialists for swimming pool and health spa water treatment systems, movable floors and booms, decorative and interactive water features.He has worked in mechanical engineering systems design and support for over 16 years across a range of sectors including defence, marine, offshore and leisure.Projects he has been involved in include, the Manchester Aquatic Centre, Al Sharaan and Chigwell School.Conference topic with Tom Devin – Net Zero Carbon pools principles, practice and Passivhaus

Susanne has over 35 years’ experience as Public Health Microbiologist having worked in both in clinical and public health microbiology within the National Health Service, University Sector and then the Public Health Laboratory Service which became part of the Health Protection Agency (now part of Public Health England) in support of both public and private sector organizations including the healthcare sector.Conference topic with Rachel Chalmers – Are there conflicts between sustainability and microbiological safety?

Rachel Chalmers has been Director of the National Cryptosporidium Reference Unit (Swansea, Public Health Wales) since January 2000, providing the national reference service including laboratory testing and investigation of outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis. She is an advisor to the WHO in food and waterborne diseases caused by protozoan parasites.Rachel led the production of guidance for the investigation of Cryptosporidium cases linked to swimming pools in 2011, and the PWTAG swimming pool survey for Cryptosporidium oocysts in 2017. In 2013 she was made Honorary Professor in Swansea Medical School. In 2023 she was delighted to be made a Fellow of PWTAG.Conference topic – Are there conflicts between sustainability and microbiological safety? And the Effect of PAC dosing on removal of particles by sand filters in commercial swimming pools

Sarah has many years’ experience in the field of environmental risk assessment, for the protection of human health from water, land and ground gas. Since 2013 she has worked at UKHSA (formerly PHE) as a Specialist Environmental Public Health Scientist mainly in the field of water (drinking and bathing). She is a member of PWTAG Council, and during lockdown produced guidance for both open water and swimming pool use, the latter with PWTAG. Currently she is working with water companies on the reduction of lead in water.Conference topic – Chlorate the rise of chlorate in water.

Andy joined Total Pool in July 2023 bringing 40 plus years of sales experience. Coming from an engineering background, this is becoming useful in the very busy pool industry.Andy’s main interest is the Ceramiflo filtration unit and introducing it further into the UK pool and leisure industry.Representing Total Pool Limited also brings along other opportunities to sell our other products and services.Conference topic – Assessment of Ceramiflo in the UK and its impact on sustainability.

Lester trained as an environmental physicist, working for over 25 years in academic research measuring and modelling water and solute dynamics in environmental systems.Lester is a Member of PWTAG and a co founder of Pool Sentry in 2004 with the aim of putting some of this science into practice. Pool Sentry is now an industry leader in developing quantitative understanding of how pools function, which is the basis of the services they provide using very practical tools for customers to improve pool management. Lester has co authored a number of ground breaking research papers with leading authorities on the factors affecting water quality and risk of Cryptosporidium contamination, and the implications for energy efficient pool operationConference topic – Assessment of Ceramiflo in the UK and its impact on sustainability.

Martin is from Pool Sentry, which was founded in 2004. Martin trained as an environmental microbiologist before spending 20 years teaching and researching at Reading University. His work covered a wide range of topics including the microbiology of groundwater and degradation of organic compounds in water.Martin is a member of the PWTAG industry Forum and in addition to supporting commercial clients, Pool Sentry has an active programme of research and development. Martin currently manages research projects with Loughborough University and the PWTAG trial on effectiveness of PAC dosing in relation to filtration. Martin has co written several papers with Lester Simmonds and in collaboration with Rachel Chalmers on pool filtration and circulation in relation to microbiological risk.Conference topic – Effect of PAC dosing on removal of particles by sand filters in commercial swimming pools.

Dr Joanne Kite is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Microbiology at the University of Cambridge and Chair of the Microbiology Society Early Career Forum. She has been microbiology consultant to Surespa Ltd since 2019 assisting with the development of microbiological test data for the eco3spa hot tub product rangeConference topic – The use of Active Oxygen as a more sustainable alternative to chlorine in domestic hot tub sanitation.