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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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In the sixth part of the question, Ms. Au asks whether, and to what extent, the present arrangement of non-sessional opening hours affects the cleanliness of swimming pools.
The present filtration and sterilization systems have ensured that the quality of pool water is up to the required hygiene standard. Nevertheless, the existing arrangement of non-sessional opening hours of swimming pools do, under certain circumstances, impose restrictions on the cleansing work by the pool staff. For instance, excessive sun tan oil from swimmers' bodies will form a film of grease on the water surface, which, when combined with dust particles in the air, will form a film of black sticky substance deposited on the walls of the pool tank. Staff trying to clean these dirt deposits may encounter uncooperative swimmers who are reluctant to leave the pool. Hence, much of the daily cleansing work is done after the opening hours of the pools so as to avoid unnecessary conflicts between the pool staff and the swimmers in the course of the cleansing work. If sessional opening hours are adopted, the pool staff can make use of the intervals between sessions to clean the water surface and the walls of the pool tanks. However, this measure would also shorten the daily opening hours of swimming pools, cause inconvenience to the public, and lead to a drop in the utilization rate of swimming pools.
The seventh part of the question asks whether the Department has compared the management and the cleanliness of pool water of the two Municipal Councils' swimming pools and whether the Council has considered adopting the Regional Council's practice of opening the swimming pools to the public by sessions.
The following hygiene standard on water quality of swimming pools is set by the Department of Health; for pools using ozone as disinfectant, the free residual chlorine level should be kept at a minimum of 0.5 parts per million (p.p.m.), while for pools using chlorine as disinfectant, the residual chlorine level should be kept at a minimum of 1.0 p.p.m. This standard is being adopted by the swimming pools of both Municipal Councils at present. The RC swimming pools are opened by three sessions, with intervals at 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., during which the pool staff have their meals and clean the pools. For UC swimming pools, the cleansing work is mainly carried out after the opening hours of the pools. Although the swimming pools of the two Municipal Councils are cleaned at different hours of the day, the water quality of these pools is all up to the required standard.
The policy of non-sessional opening hours of swimming pools currently adopted by the Council can provide longer hours of service to the public. Moreover, the Department has conducted an opinion survey among 4,385 swimmers on the service provided by PUC swimming pools. The result reveals that swimmers are quite satisfied with the existing opening hours of swimming pools. 79.9% expressed that they were 'satisfied' and 14.4% said that they were 'very satisfied'. Therefore, in the meantime, the Council will not consider
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