Modern technologies can make pools waterwise (#788)

Last week, I spent a few days in Fremantle attending a conference on swimming pools. I returned

to Denmark to find 31mm in my rain gauge. I was sharply reminded of an alarming but thought

provoking presentation given by a Water Corporation representative early on the first day of that

conference. The two-day meeting (and Trade Exhibition) was the 42nd Annual Conference of the

Leisure Institute of WA Aquatics [LIWA] and the presentation in question was entitled “Managing

our Water Resources”.

The talk caused me to reflect that when I first visited Denmark in 1972, Perth’s annual rainfall yield

was 338GL. When I came to live here10 years ago, this had fallen to 92GL - and to only 58GL in

the past years 2005-10. So far this winter the Perth yield is 14GL. Perhaps these numbers scare

you too! After all - aren’t swimming pools notorious water guzzlers?

Well ... no they don’t have to be … efficient use of water can produce dramatic savings. The Bold

Park outdoor 50m pool for example shows a potential saving of 2ML per annum simply by using

more efficient shower heads. Since about 40% of this is hot water there’s a bonus energy saving of

about $12k and roughly 50 tonnes of carbon.

The Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre in Stirling provides another example of waterwise management –

perhaps the benchmark for all good aquatic centres. By switching to intelligent change room

practices – sensor/timers in the showers, low-flow heads (9L/min), waterless urinals etc – they have

cut water usage from 36ML to 15ML per annum since 2006. That’s a saving of roughly $70k

altogether. Similarly, they use pool blankets to reduce evaporation – not only at nights, but also in

winter time whenever one of their several pools is unused.

Now there’s a lot of water at this particular aquatic centre and I’m not suggesting that sums of this

magnitude would apply directly to a more modest aquatic centre here in Denmark. But examples

such as this do show what can be done – even with older facilities that can only be refurbished and

retrofitted. The Terry Tyzach facility began life in 1967 as a 50m outdoor pool when energy was

cheap and water seemingly limitless (remember the 338GL pa). Conservation of either was not a

high profile issue. Now that it is, and increasingly so, how much better it is to be starting from

scratch at the drawing board – free to incorporate the best available examples of design and modern

technologies! This doesn’t have to be rocket science after all.

Finally - Council nominations will be closing soon in preparation for elections later this year. If you

go to http://www.denmark.wa.gov.au/ourcouncil/council_minutes/currentcouncilagenda/, you will

see that our Councillors have been deliberating on these matters during August. Talk to them, seek

their views, and make yours known.

Cyril Edwards, denmarkpool@gmail.com, DACCI and http://www.denmarkpool.blogspot.com.

Caption: Learning to swim at the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre, City of Stirling.