From all appearances, they are like any other upscale swimming pool. But a handful of Guadalajara pools boast something invisible that their owners say is increasingly important to swimmers — water purification systems that rely less on questionable chemicals and more on safer technologies.
Hot, summer weather naturally makes swimming more attractive, but many people have complaints about traditional pool chemicals, such as chlorine and bromine. “I get a rash from chlorine,” said regular swimmer and Guadalajara musician Colleen Blake. “I’ve tried steam baths to detox my skin but sometimes had to resort to medications to get rid of the problem. I’d like to know about pools that use other systems.”
“With traditional chemicals, people have problems with their hair, skin and eyes,” said Juan Yeh, a staff member at Carril4tro (pronounced “carr-IL CUAtro”, a large installation with three indoor pools on the southwest fringe of the city near the Omnilife Stadium. Carril4tro uses ultraviolet rays and a filtration system to minimize chlorine.
Some warn of conditions worse than discolored hair, rashes, dry skin and eye problems, listing spontaneous abortions, cancer, asthma and allergies as hazards of exposure to chlorine and chlorine disinfection byproducts.“Swimming is an incredible form of exercise and recreation, but if you perform it in a chlorinated swimming pool ... you could be putting your future health at risk.,” wrote physician Joseph Mercola in October, 2010 on his much-visited health Web site www.mercola.com. “Swimming in indoor chlorinated pools may induce DNA damage that can lead to cancer.”
Owners of pools that use chlorine and bromine sometimes cite cost as an impediment to switching to better systems, but Yeh’s take on this was instructive. “Probably the installation cost more, but with UV you minimize the costs of ongoing use.”
At Acquatix, a pool near the Mercado Abastos, staff member Cesar Fuentes agreed, citing a hefty reduction in operating costs from their system of sea salt and electrolysis. “Imagine the usual method costs $10 pesos — ours costs $2 or 3 pesos.” Acquatix’s technology is called a chlorine generator because it divides the sea salt into sodium and chlorine, “but much less chlorine” than a typical chlorine pool, Fuentes underscored.
“We see a reduction in maintenance costs, although the equipment and installation are higher,” he added, noting that the water has a light flavor of salt. “The chlorine from sea salt doesn’t harm hair, skin or eyes like chemical chlorine.”
As for customer demand for safer alternatives, Marco Lopez, a pool manager at Vivo47 on the west side of the metropolitan area, says that the combination used at the pool (ozone, chlorine and filters) is one of the primary factors that attract customers. “Our installations, our service and our water purification system,” are the big draws, he said.
And draw, they do. One member who swims daily at the club said that in the morning, each lane has about five swimmers. “When you buy a membership plan, the cheapest swimming plan is not very cheap.” Still, she was enthusiastic. “It’s a beautiful pool. The water is easy on your bathing suit and your body. The locker rooms are pristine.”
Visits to Acquatix and Vivo47 in the early afternoon found them very clean and smelling slightly of chemicals and/or perfumes. They were pleasantly warm and relatively uncrowded. Rush hour apparently comes to swimming pools at the same time it does to roads — early morning and early evening.
However, Carril4tro’s Yeh said the three pools at the facility, especially the primary one, which was used for warm-ups during the recent Panamerican Games by the U.S. swimming delegation, are so big that they are usually not crowded.
- Carril4tro, Av. Franco Mexicano 195, near the Omnilife Stadium and Avenida Vallarta and the Periferico. Tel. (33) 1201-6490, 1201-4165, www.carril4tro.com.
- Acquatix, Av. Paseo de la Arboleda 2506, near Mercado Abastos across from VIPs. Tel. (33) 3671-0037, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.acquatix.com
- Vivo47, Avenida Naciones Unidas 6700, near Patria, Tel. (33) 3610-2200, www.vivo47.com