Cromwell pool to close for carbon-footprint-friendly upgrade

Cromwell residents will have to do without their pool for more than two months, but when they're able to return a swim will be lighter on the planet, thanks to a new heating system.

The pool's LPG boiler is set to be replaced with a centralised water-sourced heating system that uses the town water supply as the heat source.

The Central Otago District Council has received a $100,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) towards the total $900,000 cost of the replacement.

CODC Parks and Recreation Manager Gordon Bailey says replacing the boiler with the new set-up is a win for both lower carbon emissions and cheaper operating costs.

“It is a unique way of heating a pool. This new form of heating will shift almost all energy usage to electricity and take heat from the Council’s street water main, which will be transferred into the pool.”

The pool will be closed for approximately eight to nine weeks from Tuesday, April 19 to carry out the upgrade.

“While it is an inconvenience for people in the short term, in the long term what we’re going to end up with is an energy-efficient way of heating the pool, which will be of benefit not just to the community but to the environment.”

Over the next five years, this means a carbon reduction of approximately 221 tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of the CO2 emissions stored in 3.4 hectares of established native forest, the council says.

The sustainable step is being welcomed by the Cromwell Community Board.

“The Cromwell Community Board fully supported this initiative that will see significant reduction in Council’s carbon footprint in operating the Cromwell Pool," chair Anna Harrison says.

All memberships will be put on hold during the upgrade and people will still be able to use their swim membership at the Alexandra Pool.

Term two for Central Swim School will be shortened, and the swim school team leader will contact all swimmers in June for enrolments for the following term. All swimmers in the Term one course will be automatically held a spot.

Updates will be provided on how things are tracking for the delayed start of term two, the council says.