Waterworld refreshed and ready to reopen
Hamilton’s Waterworld has had a $10.78 million revamp that wasn’t really about looks.
But swimmers should notice a difference when they jump in the Te Rapa pools after Saturday’s reopening celebrations.
New ventilation systems have cut the chlorine smell, and crumbling floor coverings have been replaced with a slip-proof surface.
The 50-metre pool has been raised and deepened – it can now host national events – and the complex has had a lick of paint.
L.K. Coffee Hub is taking over the Waterworld cafe, and the outdoor barbeques are ready for summer.
And, if it’s quieter by the pools, thank the wavy blue and white ceiling baffles and the noiseabsorbing wall panel with a fern on it.
Some improvements may be less obvious – the pool filter systems can filter out items smaller than the width of a human hair, and thinning pipes have been replaced.
‘‘That [revamp] was the best bang for the buck in terms of customer experience,’’ newly-appointed Hamilton City Council aquatic facilities manager Stuart Davidson said.
‘‘It feels fresh.’’
Project manager Shane Drury is loving the water quality: ‘‘It’s glistening’’.
‘‘It actually looks like a world-class facility.’’ The 50m pool has been raised and deepened, so it’s now 1.6 metres in the middle.
That’s one of several changes which help meet standards for national events.
Others include better lighting, and five new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units.
Council tried to meet those benchmarks because it wants to attract more events, Davidson said.
‘‘We want to get back on the map for everything, to be honest, and events is a key part of that.’’
In the pump room, new filters produce water of a similar quality to what comes out of Hamilton’s water treatment plant.
The new filters for the 25m and 50m pools filter to one micron, Drury said – a human hair is 12 to 15 microns.
Davidson’s keen to see people using the whole pool complex in other ways, such stopping in just for the cafe, or running boot camps in the outdoor area.
And there’s a space city council has yet to decide what to do with – an on-site daycare shut before the revamp began.
City councillor Paula Southgate hoped to see previous users return to the pools.
‘‘If they’ve had to go somewhere else temporarily, hopefully they’ll come straight back.’’
The pool will reopen with The Big Splash event, running 10am to 2pm on Saturday.