The spa opened on 9 October and on 14 October Durham Public Health was notified that Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus (Staph) bacteria were found in the saltwater pool, Källa.
It launched an internal audit the same day, led by its Groupe Nordik corporate team and in consultation with Dr Roy Vore, a microbial physiologist specializing in recreational water diseases.
According to the internal audit, three factors led to the finding of staph in the pool.
The first was the broken valve in Källa Pool’s bromine corrosion system, which adversely affected the chemical levels in the salt water.
Second, the pool’s ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system had a malfunctioning flow switch, which prevented it from functioning as a backup safety measure to destroy any residual bacteria.
Finally, bromine – used to disinfect swimming pools and believed to be more effective for warmer waters – could not dissolve properly due to the high concentration of salt in the water.  This prevented the bromine from acting as an effective chemical barrier against bacteria.
“In our 20 years of operation, we have never had such an incident at any of our pools and it is our intention never to have such an incident again,” the spa wrote in its internal audit.


HOW DOES THE SPA SAY IT WILL FIX THESE PROBLEMS 
Based on the recommendations of the control researchers and Dr.  Vore, the Källa pool will now be disinfected with chlorine, like the rest of the facility’s pools.
Groupe Nordik says it will also introduce a number of new safety protocols, including installing two chlorine disinfection systems, doubling the salt content in the Källa pool to act as “an additional inhibitor for bacteria” and introducing an alarm for UV disinfection.  the system to shut down immediately if there is a problem.
A “lab-grade incubator” will also be installed, meaning the spa can more frequently test the water for bacteria on its own.  The spa says it will be “the only” recreational pool facility in Canada with an on-site incubator.
Now that the inspection is complete, inspectors say, with “100 percent certainty,” the saltwater pool will be able to safely reopen.
“We are committed to restoring trust with the public and that starts with doing everything we can to ensure our guests are safe and can continue to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of our pools,” the spa said.  He added that making the audit public is the first step in showing his commitment to being transparent.
Groupe Nordik says it will begin reaching out to all affected guests to provide them with the results of the audit immediately.


CIVIL APPLICATION DEPOSITIONS 
Dozens are filing a lawsuit against the facility, demanding transparency from the business after they claimed they contracted staph from the spa’s saltwater pool.  Some of the complainants previously told CTV News Toronto that they suffered from ear infections and skin rashes for weeks.
The lawsuit alleges they became ill after visiting the spa.
“We haven’t apologized,” said Jessica McKaye, one of the complainants.
Justin Linden, a personal injury lawyer representing the team, tells CTV News Toronto this audit “reveals failures at every level.”
“Everything that could have gone [wrong]went wrong,” he said in a statement emailed Nov. 2.
“We believe [the] The court will find that it was negligent.  This was the perfect storm.  It is now time for the owners to stand up and take their responsibilities.”