A safer, cleaner way to install plumbing for free-standing water birth pools.
The Active Birth Pools Water Column is a purpose-designed service column for freestanding 360° water birth pool installations. It provides a safe, practical and hygienic location for taps, spout, shower fittings, pipework and associated plumbing controls, while keeping the pool rim clear for mothers and midwives. [1][2]
Designed and manufactured in Ficore® composite, the Water Column complements the flowing form of our pools and creates a clean, integrated solution for maternity rooms where the pool is positioned away from the wall. [1]
Why the Water Column matters
A freestanding water birth pool gives maternity teams greater flexibility in room layout and movement around the pool. But freestanding installations still need water services, controls and fittings.
The Water Column solves this by moving plumbing fixtures away from the pool rim and into a dedicated, accessible structure. This helps reduce avoidable risk by keeping taps, spouts, handrails and shower fittings separate from the main working edge of the pool. [1][2][3]
The result is a cleaner, simpler and more practical installation that supports water safety, hygiene, midwife access and mother comfort.
Keeps the pool rim clear
The rim of a birth pool is not just a decorative edge. It is a working surface.
Mothers use it for support when entering, leaving and changing position. Midwives use it to observe, communicate, monitor and provide care. In an emergency, the rim must remain as clear and accessible as possible.
By taking plumbing and fittings off the pool rim, the Water Column helps preserve this essential working area. Midwives have better access to the mother, fewer obstructions around the pool and more freedom to move in response to the changing needs of labour and birth. [1][3][6]
Plumbing where it belongs
Hospital water systems must be designed, installed, commissioned, maintained and managed safely. NHS England’s HTM 04-01 provides guidance on the legal requirements, design applications, maintenance and operation of hot and cold water supply, storage and distribution systems in healthcare premises. [4]
The Water Column supports this approach by giving estates teams and contractors a dedicated location for valves, pipework and fittings. The column has a removable access panel, is designed to accept a variety of plumbing fixtures and associated fittings, and provides room inside for valves and pipework. [2]
The front and sides of the column are reinforced, and Active Birth Pools installation guidance recommends fixing the spout to the column at least 150 mm above the rim of the pool. [2]
Final plumbing specification should always be agreed with the hospital’s estates team, Water Safety Group, infection-prevention team and competent project professionals.
Designed to support hygiene and infection prevention
Every fitting, hole, washer, joint and projection in a clinical water environment adds another detail that must be cleaned, inspected and maintained.
The Water Column helps simplify the pool itself by keeping unnecessary plumbing penetrations and rim-mounted fittings away from the pool shell. This supports the Active Birth Pools design philosophy: smooth surfaces, fewer dirt traps, fewer exposed fixing points and easier cleaning. [1][8][9]
NICE guidance states that baths and birthing pools should be kept clean using a protocol agreed with the local microbiology department or infection-control guidance and, for birthing pools, in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. [5]
The Water Column does not replace local infection-control procedures, manufacturer cleaning guidance or the hospital’s water-safety policy. It supports them by making the installation simpler, cleaner and easier to manage.
Supports hospital water-safety governance
Water birth rooms form part of the wider healthcare water system. Hot and cold water outlets, thermostatic control, backflow protection, flushing, cleaning, monitoring and maintenance should all be specified by competent professionals in accordance with local policy and current healthcare guidance. [4][5][7]
HTM 04-01 specifically covers the control and management of risks from Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other waterborne pathogens in healthcare settings. [4]
The Water Column gives the hospital a dedicated, accessible point for water services in freestanding installations. This helps estates teams specify and manage outlets as part of the building’s water-safety system rather than treating them as integral features of the pool itself.
Shower and backflow safety
Handheld showers can be useful for cleaning the pool after use, but they must be specified and managed carefully.
A shower hose or handset should not be able to dangle into the pool during labour and birth. In healthcare premises, backflow protection must be considered carefully because outlets can be exposed to a higher downstream contamination risk. [7]
Water Regs UK states that all bathroom water fittings must have appropriate and adequate backflow protection, rated for the highest downstream contamination risk, and notes that showers in healthcare premises may be categorised as Fluid Category 5 risk. [7]
The Water Column allows shower fittings and associated controls to be positioned away from the main pool rim, helping hospitals plan a safer and more manageable arrangement. Final specification should always be agreed with the hospital’s estates team, Water Safety Group and local water undertaker where required.
Practical support for mothers
The Water Column is strong, sturdy and carefully positioned for freestanding 360° pool installations. Mothers can use it as a reassuring support point when getting in and out of the pool and when adopting upright or standing positions during labour. [1]
Its Ficore® composite surface is smooth, tactile and warm to the touch. Ficore® also has a greater adhesive factor and is more slip resistant than fibreglass or acrylic, helping create a more secure and confident user experience. [9]
No wet clinical surface should ever be treated as slip-proof. Normal supervision, local risk assessment, safe access procedures and appropriate cleaning remain essential.
Better working space for midwives
Manual-handling risk in water birth rooms is influenced by posture, reach, entry and exit, room layout and the position of the mother in the pool.
HSE guidance identifies manual-handling risks for midwives and auxiliary staff assisting with births in pools, including risks arising from the position of the mother, the position of the midwife, and support given during entry and exit. [6]
HSE also states that risk-reduction measures include birthing-pool design that allows the midwife to get as close as possible to the mother and minimises bending and reaching over. [6]
Keeping the rim clear helps midwives work closer to the mother with fewer obstructions. It reduces the need to work around rim-mounted taps, projecting spouts or fittings, and supports a more practical working environment during labour, birth, monitoring, cleaning and emergency procedures.
Designed for the 360° range of Active Birth Pools
The Water Column is used with Active Birth Pools’ freestanding 360° models, including the Active 360, Venus 360 and Princess 360 configurations. [1][3]
It is particularly suitable where:
- the pool is positioned away from the wall
- water services need to rise from the floor
- the room is designed around a freestanding pool
- wall-mounted services are not practical
- the project requires a dedicated plumbing column
- the clinical team wants the pool rim kept clear of taps and fittings
Installation overview
The Water Column is fixed securely to the floor and positioned in relation to the pool according to the current installation drawings. Active Birth Pools installation guidance states that the column should be located in the centre of the pool, at least 25 mm away from the back rim, and fixed to the floor using suitable anchor points and fixings. [2]
The column includes a removable access panel and is designed to accommodate pipework, valves and associated fittings. Installers should follow current Active Birth Pools installation guidance and coordinate the work with the hospital’s estates team, infection-control requirements, water-safety policy and local regulations. [2][4][5]
As with all healthcare water installations, final specification should be approved by the relevant competent professionals.
Specifications
Depth: 250 mm
Width: 400 mm
Height: 1100 mm
Material: Ficore® composite
Guarantee: 10 years [1]
References
[1] Active Birth Pools. Catalogue and Guide. Water Column page; 360° model pages; specifications and product description.
https://activebirthpools.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Catalogue-and-Guide.pdf
[2] Active Birth Pools. Delivery, Handling and Installation. Water Column installation, fixing, access panel, fixtures, fittings, reinforcement, pipework and spout positioning.
https://activebirthpools.com/delivery-handling-and-installation/
[3] Active Birth Pools. Active II and Active 360 Water Birth Pools. Freestanding 360° pool configuration and Water Column positioning.
https://activebirthpools.com/products/active-ii-and-active-360-water-birth-pools/
[4] NHS England. Health Technical Memorandum 04-01: Safe water in healthcare premises. Guidance on healthcare hot and cold water systems, design, installation, maintenance, operation, and control of Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other waterborne pathogens.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/safe-water-in-healthcare-premises-htm-04-01/
[5] NICE. Intrapartum care, NG235. Recommendation 1.6.12: baths and birthing pools should be kept clean using agreed microbiology/infection-control protocols and manufacturer’s guidance.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng235
[6] Health and Safety Executive. Moving and handling in health and social care: Manual handling in birthing pools. Guidance on manual-handling risks and design measures to reduce bending, reaching, slips, trips and access risks.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/moving-handling/birthing-pools.htm
[7] Water Regs UK. What backflow protection is required for a shower? Guidance on bathroom water fittings, healthcare shower risk classification and Fluid Category 5 backflow protection.
https://www.waterregsuk.co.uk/topics/all-faqs/showers/
[8] Active Birth Pools. Cleaning and Care. Cleaning and disinfection guidance for Active Birth Pools, including disinfecting taps, spout and pool surfaces.
https://activebirthpools.com/active-birth-pools-cleaning-and-care/
[9] Active Birth Pools. Superior Material Results in Superior Safety, Value and Performance. Ficore® composite material, seamless construction, cleanability, durability and surface-performance information.
https://activebirthpools.com/ficore-composite-water-birth-pool/
