At Amotto Consultancy, we’re dedicated to designing, planning, and supervising aquatic facilities that are thoughtfully created for the unique needs of retirement villages across New Zealand.
While these pools are places of relaxation, exercise, and socialising, they must also meet safety, accessibility, and water quality standards, mainly because they are classified as public pools under New Zealand regulations.
We outline the key compliance requirements for retirement village swimming and spa pools, including water testing obligations, microbiological standards, and what it takes to maintain safe and inviting pool environment.
Retirement Village Pools Are Classified as Public Pools
It often comes as a surprise to retirement village operators that, under the New Zealand Pool Water Quality Standards (NZS 5826:2010), pools and spas in their communities are considered public pools.
This means that these pools must meet the same water quality, hygiene, and safety requirements as pools located at schools, aquatic centres, and accommodation providers (hotels, motels and holiday parks). Unlike what you’d expect, the standard for compliance and quality is much higher than you’d imagine, and that’s why expert advice is a necessity from the design stage through to operations.
Microbiological Water Testing: A Non-Negotiable
Water testing should always put the health and safety of elderly residents first. Water testing for microbiological organisms is not a choice.
It is a requirement for all public pools and includes:
- Most common tests to be completed: Standard Plate Count (SPC), Faecal Coliforms (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These microbes can have serious health consequences, particularly when a resident has a compromised immune system.
- Routine sampling: All public pools must undertake routine microbiological sampling to control water quality and encourage health and safety. There are various sampling parameters for the majority of pools. As per NZS 5826:2010, the following microbiological monitoring programme is to be complied with for public pools: initial (such as at the beginning of the season), monthly, and if the pool does not comply with disinfection parameters over a period of 12 hours. These required microbiological tests are to be completed by a suitably qualified laboratory.
- Accredited laboratories: All water samples collected must be sent to an IANZ-approved laboratory for testing and reporting, and are time-sensitive.
Complying with routine sampling is important; otherwise, it poses a risk to health, and as a facility, you could face action from the local council and the Ministry of Health.
Daily Water Quality Monitoring
Microbiological testing is only a part of water testing for pools. In addition to lab testing, operators need to conduct daily water quality checks that can include:
- Free Available Chlorine (FAC) levels
- Total Available Chlorine (TAC) levels
- pH levels
- Temperature
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Weekly and/or monthly tests:
- Free Available Chlorine (FAC) levels
- Total Available Chlorine (TAC) levels
- pH levels
- Temperature
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
These measurements will help to keep the water in the pool balanced and free of harmful microorganisms.
Quality Pool Design Begins with Safety and Accessibility
At Amotto Consultancy, we will assess both functional and compliant pool designs for retirement villages.
Some of the features that we will consider include:
- Gradual entry points and ramps for easy access.
- Handrails and non-slip surfaces to minimise the risk of falls.
- Low-maintenance filtration and disinfection systems that help operators maintain water quality with minimal effort.
A Trusted Partner for NZ Retirement Villages
By incorporating these features, we can help the community avoid high retrofitting costs and compliance problems in the future.
We understand that retirement village operators have many expectations to meet, from residents and families to regulators. When you partner with Amotto Consultancy, you’ll have a dedicated team from design through to operations delivering aquatic spaces that are not only visually appealing but also safe and compliant.
If you are undertaking a new pool project or upgrading an existing pool, talk to the Amotto Consultancy team about how we can support your swimming pool project and accreditation needs.
