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The historic Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, London is a popular attraction for tourists and visitors with its surrounding parkland views, rowing boats and swimming. With the growing popularity of Triathlon, it has also become a key venue for open water swimming events.  Following a successful Word Championship Triathlon this summer; in 2012 the Serpentine has the honour of hosting the Olympic Triathlon.

Maintaining water quality in the Serpentine has been a long running project for the Royal Parks. Water quality has measurably improved and been maintained at levels safe for swimming. We are very proud to announce that The Royal Parks have now commissioned Haycock to take over the monitoring of water quality on the Serpentine in Hyde Park in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.  Haycock will be working with The Royal Parks to maintain the best water quality possible for this Olympic venue. However, we will not be working towards a short term fix but solutions that will secure the highest water quality for years to come.

As triathlon events continue to grow in popularity, the management of risks associated with water quality is of increasing importance. Water quality must be suitable for prolonged immersion and also to the possibility of accidental ingestion and exposure of wounds.

Apart from the cost of poor water quality to athletes’ health, there is potential for embarrassing and damaging publicity as a result of a contamination incident.

As a result, the British Triathlon Federation advise that no open-water swimming events should take place without a full risk-assessment and water quality tests including tests for pH, enterobacter, blue-green algae and other water-borne pathogens. Tests must show that the water meets the minimum EU bathing standards as laid out by the Environmental Agency and also the International Triathlon Union (ITU) water tolerance requirements. However, if water quality is at risk of failing these standards it can be difficult to find reliable advice on how to remedy this.

Haycock is currently undertaking a detailed sampling regime and will combine this data with historical records to identify a range of options for managing water quality. In addition to identifying management options for short term incidents when the lake becomes overly stressed, a key aim is to secure improvements for the longer term. The options to improve water quality could include:

- Thermal regulation

- Dissolved oxygen and pH regulation

- Nutrient controls

- Inflow treatments

- Ecosystem manipulation