Alavuden Kunto-Lutra swimming pool resolves fecal contamination issues

The issues with fecal contamination at the Alavuden Kunto-Lutra swimming pool have come to an end. The facility faced an unusual problem during the spring and winter months when feces were found in its warm therapy pool, particularly on Tuesdays. Leena Smolander, the city’s sports and wellness manager, happily reported that the incident has not recurred since the summer. “Fortunately, the problem has not appeared again. This spring, we had to conduct multiple shock chlorinations, but the situation has fortunately improved,” she stated.

The swimming pool was closed until the end of July, and no further incidents of contamination occurred after that. The causes behind the contamination remain unknown. In May, Smolander speculated to Yle that vandalism seemed the most likely explanation, as the occurrences were repetitive.

Administration of swimming pool water quality is managed by the pools’ self-monitoring as well as municipal health protection authorities, guided nationally by Valvira. Valvira’s chief inspector, Heli Laasonen, mentioned in January that accidents involving fecal contamination are typically accidental incidents involving children, while vandalism is rare. “Usually, the cause is some kind of fecal or vomiting accident in the pool. Sometimes, it’s better to close the whole facility if the technology feeds water into multiple pools,” Laasonen explained.

The situation caused various inconveniences, as patrons experienced disappointment when the popular pool was shut down for up to five hours at a time, and staff had to suspend other tasks for shock chlorination and water circulation. This issue also impacted the swimming pool’s operations and reputation. Smolander emphasized that despite the troubling incidents, the pool’s water is generally very clean and safe for swimming.