Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Sunblock clogging pool filter
Children wearing sunblock are being made to shower before swimming in a school pool after sunscreen residue started blocking the pool’s filter.
Pupils at Redwoodtown School in Blenheim have to rinse off before taking part in swimming lessons.
Sunblock clogged the pool’s filters, while high factor creams also messed with the pool’s chlorine levels.
Parents at the 340-pupil school raised funds to buy shade sails to prevent their children getting burnt.
The Redwoodtown School parent group raised $7500 towards the final $12800 cost of three shades to cover the pool. Blenheim Roundtable also agreed to donate $4000 towards the final cost.
Parent group member Amy Eyles said the pool was well used and time was of the essence to get the shades up .
‘‘The kids have to have a shower before they hop in the pool and of course they are more exposed to the sun,’’ Eyles said.
The shades would be big enough to cover the pool as well as provide shade for parents and caregivers supervising, she said.
‘‘We did look at other options such as chemicals but you need a special certificate for that and the costs would quickly add up. This was the best solution.’’
Temperatures soared to 33 degrees Celsius on Sunday, and with the new school year set to start at the end of the month, Niwa forecast temperatures to be above average or average in Marlborough until March.
Redwoodtown School principal Aaron Vercoe said as a Sunsmart school, children were expected to be safe in the sun.
He said the shade sails should be in place by the end of January.
Sunscreen and chlorine didn’t mix, Vercoe said.
‘‘Sunscreen kills chlorine and when you have a large number of students through on a daily basis it reduces the effectiveness of the chlorine,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a conundrum as we have responsible parents who put sunscreen on their children before they come to school but then we have to add more and more chlorine and less and less students will actually want to swim.’’
Eyles said the committee tried to raise about $8000 every year for special school projects.
The committee organised colour runs and a fun run which helped provide the extra funds.
‘‘Usually we try to do swimming every day during term 4 and term 1 but the wet weather meant children didn’t swim last term,’’ she said.
‘‘We are hoping to have them in the pool every day if the weather is more favourable.’’
The Cancer Society’s programme provides accreditation for New Zealand schools that have developed and run a sun protection policy in Terms 1 and 4.