Aquatic Facilities

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Aquatic Facilities

• New Trends

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Major Growth in Aquatic Facilities

• Came after WWII good economy plus US was a
  nation of non-swimmers prior to the war and
  returned as a nation of swimmers following the
  war.
• Traditional, competitive pools built in the
  1950-1970s
• Waterparks and Leisure pools began in the USA in
  the mid-1980s

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• Leisure pools tend to recover significantly more
  income than traditional competitive pools.
• When planning a new facility, identifying the
  priority user groups is of the utmost importance.
• Visiting other relatively new aquatic facilities
  is strongly recommended.

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Outdoor vs. Indoor Pools

• Outdoor Pools less costly to construct but have a
  2-3 month season.
• Indoor Pools more costly but are open 12 months a
  year.

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Outdoor Pools Today

• Need to add an abundance of shade structures
• De-emphasize shallow water baby pools
• and now spraygrounds instead, without standing
  water.
• Outdoor pools use stabilized chlorines, indoor
  pools must not.

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Competitive Pools

• Somewhat easier to plan because dimensions are
  similar.
• 78 81 degrees F
• Springboards and Diving Towers need deep water
  (12.5 17 feet).
• Wider pool decks are desired but at great expense
  because the footprint of the building is
  expanded.

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Pool Decks/Floors

• Tile is by far the most versatile finish but also
  the most expensive.
• Non-slips decks are a must and must be tested
  first.
• Fabric floor (carpet) and deck finishes are not
  recommended for wet environments
• (mold, mildew, bacteria, etc).

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Deck drains

• Continuous trench drain vs. intermittent drains.
• Keep slot drains away from pool edge possible
  contamination of pool water.
• Deck must be sloped to drains.

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Pool lighting (indoors)

• 125-150 foot candles recommended for new
  facilities hosting elite competitive events
• 100 foot candles for other competitions
• 30-50 foot candles for recreational and
  non-competitive aquatics.
• Should be able to switch to various light levels
  for various user groups.

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Indoor Lighting

• Place fixtures strategically for ease of
  replacing bulbs.
• Bulbs lose their brilliance quickly.
• Lights should not create glare of blind
  competitors, patrons or lifeguards.
• Windows/skylights add aesthetics while producing
  glare and algae if not designed and installed
  correctly.

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Underwater Lighting

• Often required for safety and aesthetics
• Typically troublesome in pools leakage and
  electrocutions.

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Interior finishes

• Tile is best by far but also most expensive.
• Others finishes work well but stain and do not
  last as long.
• All pool finishes must be either white or very
  light except for Diving Platform wells where dark
  blue is often used.

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Movable Floors

• Great for increased programming
• Expensive
• Can require maintenance

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Indoor Air Quality

• Significant problem for energy efficient indoor
  pools
• Much fresh air is needed of good air quality
• The busier the pool the more likely it is to have
  air quality issues.
• ASHRAE standards may not be adequate14

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Filtration

• Pressure vs. vacuum systems
• Media Types
• Sand, D.E., Cartridge, Glass, Zeolite
• Turnovers are important usually the faster the
  turnover the better for filtration

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Chemistry

• Chlorine
• Bromine
• Ozone
• U/V light
• Others (ionizers, chlorine generation, etc.)

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Heating

• Gas
• Solar
• Combination
• others

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Planning Leisure Aquatic Facilities

• Leisure pool movement arrived in the US
• in the 1980s.
• Successful in Europe and Canada prior to
  acceptance in the USA, particularly indoors
• Construction costs tend to range from 1-2
  million for small communities (8,000 sq. ft.) to
  up to 10 million for larger communities
  (24,000sq. Ft.)

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Income Generation

• Leisure pools tend to generate more income than
  traditional pools
• However, even the best managed leisure
• pools have a difficult time turning a true
  profit
• Food and Beverage Concessions tend to be large
  income generators at leisure pools

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Ancillary Areas

• Shade structures/areas
• Sand play areas
• Sun turf areas
• Concessions
• Seating areas
• Lanscaping/theming

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Water Attractions

• Waterslides
• Lazy Rivers
• Water features/toys
• Multiple pools with different temperatures

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Trends in Water Safety

• Supervision of the lifeguards is key.
• Video both land based and underwater
• Drowning detection systems using both computer
  and video technology.
• Larger lifeguard stations for movement
• 5 Minute Scanning Strategy
• 5/30 model of Aquatic Accountability
• AEDs, Oxygen, etc.

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