What is a commercial pool?

Before diving into installation methods and systems, it’s important to understand what defines a commercial swimming pool. Unlike residential pools designed for private use, commercial pools are built for public or semi-public environments, capable of serving dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of users daily.

From this this basic definition arise the many shapes and forms of what a commercial pool installation can look like. As such, these pools are found in a wide range of settings, including:

• Hotels and resorts
• Sports clubs and fitness centers
• Municipal and public facilities
• Wellness and spa centers
• Water parks
• Real estate developments
• Event venues and competition arenas

Key aspects of commercial pool installation design and construction

The construction models and their impact: from conventional concrete to modular convenience

When planning a commercial pool, choosing the right construction method is essential.

Today, the two most popular options available are conventional concrete pools and Skypool, Fluidra’s modular prefabricated system, with each one offering distinct advantages depending on the project’s location, timeline, and budget:

• Construction time.

Based on prefabricated panels and a method for assembly designed for convenience and speed, construction times for Skypool projects are much shorter, compared to concrete builds.

• Structural flexibility and customization opportunities.

Thanks to its modular approach, panel construction offers precise construction for a number of diverse types of projects and needs. Its prefabricated panels can be assembled in different configurations and can also be adapted to irregular spaces and existing structures. This includes rooftop pools and facilities in limited spaces, as well as in-ground or above-ground pools. Additionally, they can be designed to meet the strict measurements and tolerances required for competition pools by the World Aquatics Federation. In fact, the panels provide an outstandingly flexible solution even for temporary event pools, as they can be installed in existing stadiums or arenas without anchoring them to the facility floor. As such, Skypool offers greater flexibility compared to concrete builds, which represents a more rigid approach for projects.

• Cost and maintenance.

With shorter construction times and cheaper processes, Skypool projects start at a lower cost compared to conventional concrete pools. Moving on to maintenance needs, the Skypool panels are designed to offer easy access for maintenance and inspections, as well as great protection against corrosion. These factors combine to drive maintenance costs down while also extending equipment lifespans.

• Durability.

Skypool systems are engineered to offer outstanding durability, including against corrosion, as mentioned above. Additionally, they are designed to offer resilience in regions with high seismic activity and meet national regulations regarding earthquake hazards.

Choosing the right filtration and water treatment systems for commercial pool installations

Clean, safe, and well-balanced water is essential for any commercial swimming pool, and opting for the right pool filtration and water treatment systems have a major impact on achieving this goal.

While these systems’ overall aim is to maintain hygiene, clarity, and compliance with health regulations, they achieve so in distinct ways.

On the one hand, the filtration system includes a range of equipment designed to remove dirt, debris, and microscopic contaminants. In order to do so, a basic outline of a filtration system’s components for a commercial pool installation includes:

• Pump: circulates water through the system
• Filter: removes physical particles and debris
• Disinfection system: eliminates harmful microorganisms
• Return line: sends clean water back to the pool

Aiding filtration processes, water treatment systems play a critical role in ensuring swimmer safety and operational efficiency. In this case, the systems activate a series of processes that neutralize microorganisms, balance pH, and prevent scale or corrosion. A number of processes that filtration alone cannot achieve and which thus act as a complement to ensure safe, pristine water.

In the case of water treatment systems, modern commercial pool installations typically rely on:

• Chemical dosing systems for precise water balance.
• Disinfection technologies such as chlorine, UV water treatment, or ozone water treatment solutions.
• Automated controllers to monitor and adjust water parameters in real time, which can be part of smart pool installations.

When it comes to picking the right setup for filtration and water treatment, each project should look at its own environment and expected traffic. As a rule of thumb, high-traffic facilities may benefit from advanced filtration and automated dosing; meanwhile, wellness or therapy pools might choose to prioritize gentle disinfection, paired with strict temperature control.

Safety equipment and other elements key for commercial pool installations

Beyond water systems and construction methods, commercial pools require a range of equipment to ensure smooth operation and user comfort.

On the one hand, safety equipment emerges as a must. From physical barriers to smart technologies, a well-equipped facility must include systems that protect users and prevent accidents, with some essential components being:

• Anti-entrapment drain covers, to prevent suction-related accidents.
• Handrails, ladders, and non-slip surfaces to ensure entry and exit is safe for bathers.
• Emergency stop buttons and alarms, which allow quick response in case of incidents.
• Lifeguard stations and rescue tools, which support immediate intervention.
• Drowning detection systems, including advanced AI-based technologies that monitor swimmer behavior in real time.

A wide array of systems that are especially important in public pools, water parks, and facilities with high user turnover.

On top of safety equipment and depending on the pool’s location and purpose, the following elements might also need to be added to the pool’s equipment:

• Heating systems
• Lighting and ambiance controls
• Automatic cleaning devices
• Control panels and automation systems

Achieving a successful commercial installation: the power of planning and strategic construction partners

When considering all these elements, it’s important to know that integrating them from the design stage is key to ensure success, including compliance with regulations, which in turn helps build trust with users.

As such, a successful commercial pool installation begins in a thoughtful and meticulous planning stage, which is then carried out across the building and maintenance stages

Additionally, each project should aim at targeting and achieving its own needs and potential. For instance, rooftop pools may need to prioritize compact, energy-efficient systems that fit in the available space, while other pool projects may opt for systems where space constraints are not a problem.

In this context, every decision for commercial pool installations should be guided by experts in aquatic engineering and construction like Fluidra, capable of incorporating the best options for each project’s particular needs.

Through this approach, commercial pool installations ensure a holistic approach where issues like structural design, filtration and treatment systems and equipment are all blended together to achieve a coherent setup that ensures long-term performance, compliance, and user satisfaction.

Frequently asked questions about commercial pool installation

How to build a commercial pool?

To a great extent, building processes in any commercial pool installation greatly depend on the choice of construction model. As such, the two most popular options today include conventional concrete pools and models based on modular, prefabricated panels such as Skypool. Above in this article we’ve included a comparison among both options in terms of construction times, maintenance needs and customization options, among other factors.

Beyond this, achieving a complete commercial pool also involves incorporating the right filtration and water treatment systems, as well as additional safety measures and other elements like circulation pumps, heating, lighting, cleaning devices and control panels and automation systems.