System and method for controlling water quality in a recreational water installation

1. A system for controlling water chemistry of a recreational water installation, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect bather load in the recreational water installation;

a controller configured to determine a required adjustment to the water chemistry of the recreational water installation based upon the detected bather load;

a plurality of individual packets arranged in a strip, each packet containing a chemical dose unit and each packet being individually sealed within a water barrier film; and

a dispenser configured to dispense the chemical dose unit from one of the plurality of packets into the recreational water installation based upon the determined required adjustment, wherein the dispenser comprises a packet disruption mechanism configured to disrupt each packet and dispense its contents, wherein the dispenser comprises a motor operatively connected to the strip and adapted to move the strip with respect to the packet disruption system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically dispense a chemical dose unit from the dispenser based upon the determined required adjustment.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to dispense a chemical dose unit only when there are no detected bathers in the recreational water installation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to alert a user of the determined required adjustment.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a user interface, the user interface configured to display the determined required adjustment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a change in water level of the recreational water installation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor and the controller are part of a unit configured to sit within the water installation.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a transmitter attached to the unit, the transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate information from the controller.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recreational water installation is a spa.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the water chemistry, the controller further configured to determine the required adjustment based upon the detected chemistry.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to record use patterns.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to predict and alert when water in the recreational water installation should be replenished or replaced based upon the use patterns.

13. A system for controlling water condition of a water installation, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a water condition of the water installation;

a controller configured to determine a required adjustment to the water chemistry of water installation based upon the detected water condition; and

a dispenser comprising a packet disruption mechanism configured to dispense chemicals from one of a plurality of packets, each packet separately sealed within a water barrier film, into the water installation based upon the determined required adjustment, wherein the dispenser further comprises a motor adapted to move a strip of a plurality of packets sealed within a water barrier film with respect to the packet disruption mechanism.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the water condition is bather load.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor comprises a colorimetric sensor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the colorimetric sensor comprises an element configured to change color in response to the level of an analyte in the water installation and a detector to analyze a color change of the element.