Hello Plum Creek Residents,

As we go into summer and enjoy fun days in the sun, we here at the HOA office wanted to provide some information about the pools, including the timeline that was followed for getting them opened, the hurdles we’ve faced, and our latest challenge that we have successfully tackled.

Previously, Plum Creek's pools were under the care of Austin Pool Pros (APP). The office and the board collected feedback from residents and several problems were cited with the services last year (for example, equipment failures, lifeguards not performing their duties as assigned, chemical imbalances in the pools, etc.) and began the process of collecting bids from other full-service pool companies. For context, the HOA is legally required to get 3 bids for service contracts over $50,000, which applies to the pool contracts (lifeguard and maintenance). There are limited companies which offer these services, but we managed to collect three bids each for both the lifeguard and maintenance contracts. After examining bids and careful deliberation, the board voted to close our shared chapter with APP and award the contract for pool maintenance and lifeguards to Advanced Aquatics (AA). With decisions made and notice given, APP closed out their contract on April 1st. AA began shortly thereafter and began the process of onboarding the Plum Creek pools. To ensure that the pools were operational, both locations underwent a thorough inspection to determine what, if any, equipment needed to be fixed. Prior to opening the pools for the season, the following was repaired or replaced:

• McNaughton-
  • 2 stenner pumps
  • 4 flowmeters
  • 4 pressure gauges
  • 8 vacuum gauges
  • 3 pentair pumps
• Haupt-
  • 2 flowmeters
  • 3 pressure gauges
  • 6 vacuum gauges
  • 2 stenner pumps

Just for context, here’s a simplified definition of what those parts do-

• Stenner pumps (these inject the chlorine into the water)
• Flowmeters (measures the flow rate of liquid through a pipe)
• Pressure gauges (measures the pressure within the filter tank, helping determine when the filter needs cleaning or backwashing)
• Vacuum gauges (to measure the pressure on the suction side of a pool's circulation system, specifically between the skimmer and the pump)
• Pentair pumps (to circulate and filter pool water)

This did take some time to do as parts needed to be acquired and installation had to take place. With everything given the okay by AA, the Haupt Pool was opened on April 28th, with the McNaughton Pool following on May 1st due to an incident of vandalism that required attention before we could safely open the facility. Lifeguards started on Friday, May 23rd in preparation for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, we got very unlucky at both pools over the holiday weekend and had a pump die at Haupt and AA's chlorine distributor didn't fill up the chlorine supply at the McNaughton Pool as was ordered, and our account manager took care to stay overnight to monitor the chemical levels to maintain service. The part needing to be replaced at Haupt was a Pentair pump, which was not previously needed there during the opening inspection as it was in working order at the time. Both office staff and the board were in constant communication with the pool company during the holiday weekend to ensure that the pools were being treated appropriately. The company was able to address the reported problems in a timely manner over the weekend and we were able to keep the pools open for your enjoyment.

On Thursday, May 29th, we began receiving calls at the HOA office that some folks who went swimming over the weekend were becoming ill with Cryptosporidium. Upon further research, we discovered that this parasite is spread by a person that is infected with a virus that causes diarrhea and enters a swimming pool. This parasite is chlorine-resistant and can survive in well-maintained pools for extended periods. To keep you, our residents, health and safety first, we made the difficult but necessary decision to shut down and evacuate both pools and commissioned additional treatments to be applied to both pools. While we suspected that only one pool was responsible for the contamination, we chose to close both to reset out of an abundance of caution. As there is no standard pool test kit that tests for this particular parasite, the pool company did beyond the standard sanitation protocols to treat the water for the issue.

A message from the head of our pool company says,

“Regarding the initial statement that the parasite was "chlorine resistant," it is important to understand that Cryptosporidium is indeed resistant to typical chlorine levels maintained in public pools. However, it is effectively inactivated by maintaining hyper-chlorination levels, specifically chlorine concentrations above 10 ppm, for a sufficient duration. The generally accepted standard for addressing a Cryptosporidium outbreak is to maintain hyper-chlorination between 24 to 30 hours. Advanced Aquatics exceeded this standard by maintaining hyper-chlorination of 20 ppm for a period of 72 hours as a precautionary measure to ensure complete inactivation of the parasite.

To further address the duration of treatment, the 72-hour period of hyper-chlorination provides a significant margin of safety beyond the standard recommendation, confirming the elimination of the parasite. It is crucial to note that while hyper-chlorination effectively treats the water, preventing future outbreaks relies heavily on adherence to the guidelines I outlined in my previous email. Cryptosporidium is contracted by ingesting water contaminated with fecal matter. Therefore, the preventative measures focusing on hygiene and responsible pool usage are essential to maintaining a healthy environment for all residents.

Following the necessary closure of the pool, please be aware that Advanced Aquatics has diligently maintained hyper-chlorination, ensuring chlorine levels have been kept above 10 ppm. This measure was specifically implemented to effectively eliminate the parasite in question.

To prevent any recurrence of this issue and to safeguard the health and well-being of all residents, it is crucial that everyone adheres to the following guidelines:

* Individuals who have experienced diarrhea within the past 14 days should refrain from using the pools.

* Families with young children should ensure frequent restroom breaks for their children.

* Please actively supervise children to prevent the ingestion of pool water.

* It is strongly recommended that all individuals utilize the shower facilities both before and after entering the pool.

These guidelines are particularly important due to the fact that this specific parasite can survive in typical chlorine levels maintained at public swimming facilities. We appreciate your assistance in communicating these vital preventative measures to the residents.”

We thank you for your patience and understanding as both the office staff and the board have worked tirelessly to ensure that both your pools and community at large are safe and healthy for you. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the HOA office at 512-262-1140 or pcoffice@goodwintx.com