Commercial Swimming Pools

A Cut Above

Category: Commercial Swimming Pools, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

The UK’s biggest supplier of refined glass to the water leisure industry is calling for the introduction of a global standard to certify the calibre of the alternative filtration media.

Amid a groundswell of scare stories about the use of recycled glass in swimming pool water filtration, the UK’s biggest supplier of refined glass to the water leisure industry is calling for the introduction of a global standard to certify the calibre of the alternative filtration media.

Direct Material Supplies Enviro Ltd (DMS-Enviro) produces the major brands EGFM and Enviro Glasmedia from its Staffordshire factory where it is not just crushed but processed and rendered sharp free.

It’s tried and tested glass media is currently being used on hundreds of pools, both public and residential, across Europe, as well as in the UK.

“DMS Enviro has invested and achieved production of a safe glass filter media as a suitable alternative to primary aggregates with excellent results and accreditations,” says Garry J Foley managing director of DMS Enviro.

“We, as a company, wholly support the introduction of a global standard for alternative water filtration media and implore the industry to make it happen.

For more on this story see Pool & Spa Scene Magazine

Enviro Glasmedia DMS Enviro Tel. +44 (0)1202 810600.

EGFM Total Pool Chemicals Tel. +44 (0)1829 740290.

Girl Drowned In Understaffed Pool

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A Chelmsford Coroner’s Court jury has returned a verdict of accidental death from immersion on seven-year-old Michelle Gellard, found at the bottom of a swimming pool at Blackwater Leisure Centre in Essex.

During the case, the court heard that half the recommended number of lifeguards were on duty at the time of the incident in June, 2008.

Leisure Connection runs the leisure centre on behalf of Maldon District Council along with another 90 swimming pools across the UK.

Michelle’s family has launched a civil action while criminal proceedings from the Health and Safety Executive are anticipated.

In a statement following the verdict, Leisure Connection offered their sympathies: “The Company acknowledges the thanks that were offered at the Inquest, on behalf of Michelle Gellard’s family, to its Duty Manager and lifeguards for all that they did to attempt to save Michelle’s life.

“Leisure Connection remains fully committed to ensuring that its policy and procedures comply with all health and safety requirements and that its staff receive the highest quality training and support.”

Crematorium Pool Heating

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Plans to recycle energy from a crematorium in Worcestershire to heat a council swimming pool have won a national award for being green.

Redditch Borough Council approved the plans in February to heat the 25m pool at the neighbouring Abbey Stadium Leisure Centre using energy from the town’s crematorium.

At the time leading union spokesman for Unison said the plan was ‘sick’ and ‘insulting’. The idea has prompted headlines not just in the UK and Europe but around the world.

It estimated the crematorium would meet 42% of the centre’s heating demands helping save £14,560 per year.

Commending the project, The Green Organisation said it was giving the award praised green practices.

More than 100 British companies and organisations were nominated for the award and previous winners have included Marks and Spencer and Severnside Recycling.

Campaign To Get Britain Swimming

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Running for about ten months, The Big Splash aims to get more Brits swimming.

A new campaign that describes itself as the ‘world’s biggest celebration of swimming’ has been launched.

The Big Splash is a joint initiative between British Swimming and the BBC, with sponsorship from British Gas and Kelloggs.

It aims to encourage people across the UK to start learning to swim for the first time, and to inspire occasional swimmers to visit their local pools more frequently.

The mass-participation campaign will run for 10 months, generating excitement about swimming in the run-up to London 2012. It will be supported by elite swimmers such as double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, as well as stars from across the BBC.

The BBC will include programming to support the launch, including a special piece on children’s presenter Andy Akinwolere overcoming his fear of water and learning to swim. Names supporting the launch include Gary Lineker, Graham Norton, Matt Baker and Gabby Logan.

The Big Splash website offers information on a variety of swimming topics at www.bigsplash.co.uk

Pool With A Sky View

Category: Commercial Swimming Pools, Wellbeing | Comment (0)

The focal point of the The Berkeley Health Club and Spa is the swimming pool area which has a fully retractrable roof.

The Berkeley Health Club and Spa is one of London’s most stylish and innovative health retreats.

With its unique location on the seventh and eighth floors of The Berkeley in Knightsbridge it lays claim to the city’s only rooftop swimming pool with panoramic views of the skyline.

Part of the Maybourne Hotel Group, The Berkeley Spa is commonly referred to as a boutique spa with small exclusive luxury brands, four in total that concentrate on different areas of the body and skin for a more bespoke beauty experience. The ranges include [Comfort Zone], organic label VOYA and a pregnancy range from Mama Mio.

For more on this story see Pool & Spa Scene Magazine

Maybourne Hotel Group

Telephone. +44 (0)20 7107 8800

Email. info@maybourne.com

www.maybourne.com

A Lot Of Bottle

Category: Commercial Swimming Pools, Pool & Spa Business News, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

Sir John Deane’s Leisure Centre has put literally thousands of empty bottles to good use in their swimming pool.

In continuous operation since 1972, serving the local community with general public swimming facilities, Sir John Deane’s Leisure Centre, Northwich, had become a victim of its own success.

The plant room was in need of a major overhaul and a main part of the refurbishment was the replacement of the two swimming pool water filters.

Total Pool Chemicals of Chester, who undertook the plant room work grasped the opportunity to change the filter media from sand to EGFM, Eco Glass Filter Media. Steve Carder at Total Pool explains, “Silica sand is a finite resource and we are rapidly running out of the material. Compare this to EGFM which is produced from glass recycled in the UK; bottles, jars and containers which are thrown away in the bottle banks or collected by waste companies from your home. We’ve calculated in Sir John’s filters there are approximately 12,000 beer and wine bottles!”

Lesley McLaughlin, Leisure Centre Manager at Sir John Deane’s comments:“Since the filter media was replaced with glass there has been a marked improvement in the pool’s water clarity.

Additionally, because the filters are working more efficiently, we are saving on energy and water replacement and disposal costs, again another plus point when the Centre considers our carbon footprint.”

Victorian Pool Gets Sympathetic Makeover

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Dulwich Leisure Centre, a Grade II listed building which houses one of the remaining Victorian pools in London still in use, has reopened following the completion of the first phase of refurbishments and improvements designed by award winning architects Watkins Gray International.

The £6.1m upgrades, which are being undertaken on behalf of London Borough of Southwark, include a complete refurbishment of the pool, comprising a new pool tank with level deck pool, new pool plant, reinstated Victorian changing cubicles and re-tiling of the pool hall area.

In addition, roof mounted solar thermal panels have been installed to preheat water and reduce demand on boilers, while the pool area now benefits from improved natural light achieved through a new insulated and glazed pool hall roof.

For more on this story see Pool & Spa Sceen Magazine

Watkins Gray International LLP Tel. +44 (0)20 7940 8400

www.wgi.co.uk

Sheffield Boasts Top Swim Spot

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TV presenter and keen swimmer Gail Porter and Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew, pictured, held their breath at the Marshall Street Leisure Centre in London’s Soho, as entries opened for Swimathon, the world’s biggest fundraising swim.

A survey of 36,000 swimmers has confirmed Ponds Forge in Sheffield is the UK’s favourite place to swim.

While 62% of respondents to the largest-ever opinion poll of its kind, commissioned by Swimathon, the world’s biggest fundraising swim, preferred swimming indoors, others also identified London Fields Lido in East London as the most popular outdoor pool and Windsor’s Dorney Lake as the number one open water (non-pool) venue.

Swimathon

www.Swimathon.org

Public Pools Pack Punch

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above: The core pool trade can still make a splash in the commercial pool sector, say Certikin.

Certikin is highlighting opportunities for the core pool trade in the commercial swimming market in 2011.

Speaking at the recent Certikin seminar tour, Steve Nelson, Certikin’s Commercial Pools Division Manager conceded that the Government’s Spending Review will inevitably bring about massive cuts in key areas. He said that for every two pools that close, only one re-opens.

However he said there were still huge opportunities in the refurbishment of an ageing pool stock. Quoting from a recent survey, Steve said, of the 1,725 pools in the public sector, the vast majority, 88.4%, were more than 20 years old.

“Although there will be fewer large scale refurbishments, there is certain to be more make do and mend,” Steve said. He warned that with more competitive tendering processes will mean that all business will be hard fought for.

For more on this story see Pool and Spa Scene Magazine

Certikin International

Tel. +44 (0)1993 778855

www.certikin.co.uk

Size Matters

Category: Commercial Swimming Pools, International, News | Comment (0)

Chile’s San Alfonso del Mar is the world’s largest and deepest swimming pool.

Chile’San Alfonso del Mar is the world’s largest and deepest swimming pool.

According to the Guinness Book Of World Records, San Alfonso del Mar, is the largest and deepest swimming pool in the world.
The focal point of a private resort located in Algarrobo, Chile, about 100km (60 miles) west of the capital Santiago, San Alfonso’s
pool is 1,000m long.

The pool covers an area of 7.7 hectares (19 acres) that holds 250 million litres (66 million gallons) of seawater. The pool, developed by Chilean company Crystal Lagoons, uses water pumped, filtered, and treated from the Pacific Ocean to supply to the pool. Thanks to its patented water treatment system, the pool uses 100 times less chemicals and only two per cent of energy compared with traditional pool control methods. In fact, it uses ten times less water than a golf course.

While early estimates put the total cost of construction at about US$ 3.5 million (€2.8 million) for the pool alone, more recent and perhaps more accurate estimates are in the area of $1.5 to 2 billion USD total for construction and almost $4 million USD in annual maintenance.
Crystal Lagoons’ pioneering innovation keeps huge bodies of water in crystalline state and at a very low cost, making it
profitable to develop idyllic beach life anywhere in the world, from deserts to dangerous coastlines, inland territories and even
urban terrains in the heart of our cities.

The company participates in 180 international real estate projects with its lagoons in several countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin
America. The projects represent a global investment of US$100 billion through partnerships and strategic alliances with real
estate owners.
In fact, San Alfonso del Mar’s time as a world beater is going to be limited. It will soon be overtaken by a new lagoon pool complex nearing completion in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, that will be ten times bigger at 100 hectares – all located in the middle of a desert.
Crystal Lagoons
Tel. +56 (2)4122500
info@crystal-lagoons.com
www.crystal-lagoons.com