The Berliner Bäder-Betriebe (BBB) is the largest municipal pool operator in Europe, running more than 60 swimming pools throughout the city of Berlin, Germany. These pools range from historic listed baths, to functional swimming pools and competitive sports facilities for European and world swimming championships. Around six million people visit the BBB facilities every year.
Challenge
Chlorine gas is used for disinfection in most of Berlin's swimming pools. In order to meet the requirements of the new standard DIN 19606 (Chlorinators for water treatment – Technical requirements for equipment, installation and operation), Berliners needed to equip their chlorine gas systems with quick-acting safety devices.
For decades, the BBB has relied on Evoqua’s proven Wallace & Tiernan® technology for the treatment of its pool water. As a result of its trust in the brand, that has grown over time, Evoqua was the first point of contact for the BBB when it came to selecting this new safety technology.
Solution
The Evoqua Emergency Shutoff Drive (ESD) was selected as it offers maximum safety when handling gas dosing equipment. With the ESD, in combination with a gas warning device, the gas containers are closed within a few seconds as soon as a leakage is detected. Further leakage of chlorine gas is therefore effectively prevented. The ESD also offers a significant safety advantage for operating personnel, as the chlorine gas room doesn’t have to be entered to close the gas containers.
The ESD system is particularly safe because the main valve on the drum or cylinder is closed. The risk of chlorine gas escaping uncontrolled is therefore reduced to a minimum. This means that the chlorine gas systems can also be operated safely in the vicinity of residential areas.
In the ESD-RP variant, there is also the option of implementing the residual leakage protection function in accordance with TRGS 745, in combination with contact pressure gauges. Via the integrated communication point of the control cabinet, empty chlorine gas containers can be detected by the building management system in addition to the usual status values for the system.
Results
A total of 38 Evoqua ESDs were installed for withdrawal from chlorine gas drums for 13 outdoor pools, and 24 pools were equipped with 119 ESDs for withdrawal from chlorine gas cylinders.