First splash goes into University’s new pool

The first splash of the 1.3 million litres of water which will fill the new Southern Cross University Lismore campus swimming pool went in today.

Within 48 hours, the pool will be filled and when the water balance is right and the finishing touches completed, staff, students and members of the public will be welcome to use it.

The official gala opening is being planned for April, with a big name swimming star, entertainment, a multi-cultural food fair and night markets. But in the meantime, the pool will be ‘handed over’ by construction company Glenzeil to University management on Monday, March 8.

A showpiece of environmentally friendly and sustainable design, the pool has many unique features.

For starters, all of the rainwater from the large roof will be collected, filtered and stored for topping up the pool as necessary. The water from backwashing the filters – some 30,000 litres – which usually ends up down the sewer, will be collected in a separate holding tank, filtered and used on the University’s gardens.

Low maintenance was one of the key design criteria and the pool building features unique large timber laminated beams, instead of steel trusses, holding up the roof. Steel would have corroded over time and meant ongoing maintenance, while the timber will last for the life of the building, said Glenzeil site manager John Hennings.

During construction, 133 bored piers were installed down to bedrock, to support the concrete structure. While the pool itself is concrete, is has been lined with a smooth and durable fibreglass sheeting. The ceiling is a high-grade maintenance-free Colorbond and the windows open for maximum natural ventilation.

The water will be heated to a comfortable swimming temperature using heat pump technology and the sanitisation of the water will be by a combination of ultra violet clarification and lower-than-typical levels of liquid chlorine – resulting in cleaner, clearer water which does not have a strong chlorine odour and is kinder on the skin.

The depth of the pool is a uniform 1.8 metres, so it will be ideal for pool sports like water polo. It has easy access via a ramp which will be useful for everyone, but especially for people using wheelchairs, older people and children. The length is 33.3 metres – so three laps will equal around 100 metres and it is 20.5 metres wide.

Malcolm Marshall, Southern Cross University executive director, Corporate Services, had the honour of putting the first water into the pool today.

“The University is delighted to have such a tremendous facility for its students and staff," he said. "We are committed to doing all we can to make the student experience at Southern Cross University enjoyable and I am certain that the pool and the water sports playable there will become a great drawcard.

“The construction has proceeded extremely well and we are all very much looking forward to the pool being handed over and to the grand opening in April, which we are calling ‘The Big Splash’ so no doubt you will be hearing more about that exciting event as the time approaches.”

Photo: Malcolm Marshall, executive director, Corporate Services, begins the filling process for the new Southern Cross University pool.