When the Alan Shearer Activity Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne approached pool specialist, Whitewaters Ltd, to replace an old hydro pool with something bigger and better, naturally it was to Certikin that they turned and, in particular, their trailblazing new filter media: OC-1.

Founded by the retired English footballer, the Alan Shearer Activity Centre situated on the outskirts of Newcastle is a specialist recreational, sensory and social centre for disabled people catering for a wide spectrum of need. It is the only short break centre in the North East with its own on-site activity centre, set within acres of beautifully landscaped grounds.

Having seen better days, Whitewaters Ltd set about stripping out the old hydrotherapy pool, replacing it with a £500,000 state-of-the-art facility. Six months in design, the construction took a further six months to complete. Twice the size of the original hydrotherapy pool, it offers a mix of fun and relaxation with interactive mood lighting and water and music features. A distinctive full-length window looks out onto the beautiful grounds and turns opaque at a flick of a switch. The pool features an array of water features including a Certikin water cannon, and fluvo air pad and swimjet.

MD of Whitewaters, Mick Guthrie says: “The new hydrotherapy pool offers all the grandeur of a top quality spa, but it also plays a serious role in providing therapeutic benefits to disabled people of all ages.”

Water quality is, of course, of vital importance and at the heart of this pool’s filtration system is the ground breaking new OC-1 filter media for which Certikin is the world’s exclusive distributor.   Unique in its methodology and performance, OC-1 works through settlement as opposed to entrapment, and harnesses the recent advances in pump technology and variable speed pumps/controllers.

Mick reports: “The pool has been running for over a month now and the water clarity is crystal clear. Being extremely lightweight, OC-1 is so much easier than any other filter media to handle and work with. Although it’s early days, I am highly impressed with OC-1 and its distinct benefits.”

OC-1 gains momentum in the marketplace

Since the launch of Certikin’s OC-1 Filtration Media® in 2016 sales have been growing steadily and its success is no surprise when you realise just how much of a game changer for water leisure filtration this really is.  When compared to traditional media, it has outstanding benefits:

Reduced energy consumption – OC-1 maintains constant flow rates, even when the media is dirty, so pumps can run at lower speeds. No downtime required for heating/salt chlorinators/heat pumps going out on low flow.

Huge capacity for debris collection – over 20 times the capacity of sand or glass.

Reduced requirement for backwashing and a more efficient backwash – reduces water consumption, chemical usage and No need to backwash on start up with new installations.

Lightweight – can even be shipped inside a filter, easy to handle, super quick and easy to install.

Filtration quality Removes 80% of 10 micron particles on one turnover and even removes particles as small as 1 micron.

Suitable for – domestic, commercial, outdoor or indoor, new installs or existing filters.

Recyclable at end of product life