Park District Installs Air Purifying Devices At Indoor Facilities

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — The Buffalo Grove Park District has installed the iWave air purifying device in all of their indoor facilities. The devices were installed at the Alcott Center, Community Arts Center, Emmerich Park building (excluding the garage), Fitness Center, Golf Dome building (excluding the dome structure), Raupp Museum, and the building at Twin Creeks Park (excluding the garage and bathrooms), according to a release.

The iWave uses needle-point bi-polar ionization that creates equal amounts of positive and negative ions. When released, these ions breakdown passing pollutants and gases. When air passes over the iWave, ions produced by the device helps reduce pathogens, allergens, particles, smoke and odors in the air. This technology does not create ozone as a by-product.

“The health and safety of our participants and staff has always been at the forefront of everything we do," said Ryan Risinger, executive director of the Buffalo Grove Park District, in the release. "With that, as the COVID-19 pandemic has us thinking and planning in ways we have never had to before, we felt it was important for us to do everything we can keep people as safe as possible inside our facilities; and, this was one way for us to do that.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buffalo Grove Park District has taken additional measures with building HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality, according to the release These changes include increasing the amount of fresh air coming into facilities to exceed the minimum standards, increasing the minimum efficiency reporting volume rating of the air filters they use from MERV 6 to MERV 8, and changing air filters every 60 days, instead of the recommended 90 days.

“The iWave is not a replacement for social distancing and wearing a mask indoors; but, it is certainly a way that we can help minimize the risk of contracting viruses like COVID-19 inside our facilities," Risenger said.

The only large indoor area where the district won't be able to install the iWave was inside the actual Golf Dome. The attached building where people first enter does have the iWave; however, because the dome structure does not have a traditional HVAC system, and instead has a blower with a heat component, there is no option for added filtration. Because the dome structure is so large and open, and the air inside is moved and pushed out at a higher rate than other systems to make room for the continuous air that is coming in, the air quality in it resembles outdoor conditions, making the ventilation better because there is 50 times more outside fresh air coming into it, according to the release.