NVRC applies international standards for safety and cleanliness.

Keeping our aquatic facilities clean and safe is a top priority for NVRC staff. While they take this responsibility seriously, they can’t do it alone. We need all pool users to do their part to maintain the high standards that everyone expects when using our pools, hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas. This means being aware of the rules and following them.

Pool rules

Shower before swimming
Showering with soap and hot water for at least one minute before you enter the pool is essential. This ensures that sweat, dirt, deodorant and perfume are scrubbed from your skin and don’t end up in the pool. Our facility staff use chlorine to break down unwelcome elements that transfer from your body to the water. The byproduct of this process is chloramine. The more contaminants in the water, the more chloramine is produced. This results in the strong odour you will sometimes experience when you walk into the pool facility. The stronger the chloramine smell, the harder the facility is working to sanitize the pool. Taking a cleansing shower in hot water before swimming reduces contaminants and the chloramine odour.

Speaking of odours…
Some of our customers have allergies and sensitivities that can be triggered by scented body products. That’s why NVRC is a scent-free environment. Please don’t wear perfumes, colognes or scented body sprays inside NVRC facilities. When using our change rooms, please do not use any scented products—especially aerosol or spray products—that could cause health issues for other customers. This rule ensures a comfortable experience for everyone visiting our facilities.  

Go before you swim
Make sure you use the washroom before you enter the pool. This is especially important for children. Nobody wants to swim in pee! NVRC prides itself on clean and accessible washroom facilities. Please be sure to use them.

And, a reminder that babies require proper swim diapers, which are sold at each pools’ front desk. Regular diapers are prohibited as they can easily transfer contaminants into the pool. When there is a “Code Brown” in the pool, it has to be closed until our treatment systems can make the water clean and safe again.

Don’t be that person
Please don’t shave or exfoliate in any of the pool areas—including the pool deck, pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub. It is not hygienic. The hair trimmings and skin cells you discard must be dealt with by our staff and equipment, and we have heard complaints from many pool and sauna users who are less than impressed by customers who conduct this type of personal grooming in public.

Respect the equipment
NVRC aquatic facilities are regulated by Vancouver Coastal Health. Equipment settings ensure the health and safety of users. It’s important to respect the settings and not tamper with the sauna sensors or steam room equipment. All our saunas are dry saunas. Pouring water on the sauna rocks or placing wet towels over the sensors in the saunas or steam rooms alters the environment and may create a health risk. It also damages the electric elements which could result in the sauna or steam room being closed for extended periods of time.

Keep it clean and safe
Outdoor clothing and footwear are not permitted in the pool area, including the sauna and steam room. Be sure to wipe your feet before entering the change areas and bring clean flip flops to wear on the pool deck. Bare feet are fine too, as long as you’ve cleaned them in the shower first.

It’s also important to stay away from the pool if you are ill, have open wounds or a rash. This is for everyone’s health and safety!

Staff work hard to sanitize the aquatic facilities after-hours and during the day the pool deck is hosed down regularly. Help us keep it clean and remember not to run on the pool deck—it’s slippery!

No sipping or snacking
Food and drinks are not allowed in the pool area. This includes chewing gum. There are benches in the lobbies for you to take a break and enjoy a snack. Water bottles are allowed in the steam rooms but they are not permitted in the saunas.

The rules listed above keep NVRC aquatic facilities safe and clean, are considered best practices, and are consistent with policies in place around the world. Countries like Japan, Iceland and Norway take these practices seriously and NVRC is proud to align with these international standards.

By following the rules and respecting your fellow pool users, you can help maintain a clean and safe environment and ensure a positive aquatic experience for everyone!