The Southern Down Regional Council is set to minimise water impact of emptying and refilling pools ahead of its Spring opening. The outdoor Council pools in Stanthorpe, Killarney and Allora will be open again for public enjoyment in September, however necessary annual maintenance will require the pools to be emptied and refilled after the winter closure.
With Southern Downs residents being asked to reduce water usage to 100 litres per person per day from 1 September 2019, the water emptied from the pools will be utilised for Council’s maintenance and roadworks, and the pools then refilled with treated raw and bore water to minimise water wastage. Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Tracy Dobie, said the pools were an asset to their local communities, and that the Council was committed to their ongoing maintenance and reducing the water impact of the facilities being emptied and refilled. “Council believes that the region’s swimming pools provide immense community and social benefits, especially with the expected hot, dry summer months ahead,” she said.
The Council is fully aware of the need to preserve the dwindling water supplies. However, they believe that it is not in the best interest of the community for the pools to remain closed over the spring and summer period to preserve water.
A Council spokesperson said water must remain in the pools during the off-season to maintain structural stability as the water acts as a stabiliser to weigh down each pool. Likewise, draining or emptying pools of these sizes is not a long term option as the lack of water can create structural problems such as cracking and damaging surrounding paving or timber work.
“Once the pools are cleaned, the pools will be filled with bore water; however, each pool will be heavily treated and filtered to ensure they are safe to swim in.”
Readers also enjoyed our story State Ministers + SDRC.
