Today Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) confirmed plans to heat the open air Arrowtown Memorial Pool and bring forward its opening date.
Alpine Aqualand will close for approximately three months on Monday 30 September with Arrowtown Memorial Pool opening the same day.
Arrowtown pool usually opens annually between early December and the end of February with the sun heating water as it circulates through the pipe system. Installing an LPG heating system will enable the pool to operate with a target water temperature of 28 degrees Celsius.
QLDC Sport and Recreation Manager Simon Battrick said the investment will help minimise disruption to the local community.
“Extending the traditional summer season and daily operating hours at Arrowtown has always been an option for us but any new heating system has naturally required a detailed examination of the technical, financial and compliance implications,” he said.
“Our aquatics team has worked hard to find a solution that enables recreational swimmers as well as local schools, groups and clubs to keep swimming while Aqualand undergoes essential repairs. It also means we can maintain a warmer temperature at Arrowtown rather than rely on the variable power of the sun.”
From Monday 30 September and until Alpine Aqualand reopens, Arrowtown Memorial Pool will be open to the public from 6.00am-7.00pm weekdays and 10.00am-6.00pm on weekends.