AIS Water has been an industry leader and innovator for over 30 years. Our laser focus is designing and manufacturing residential and commercial chlorine generators and premium quality Anode material. This focus has brought us international recognition, and created a passion for conserving our planet’s most precious resource - water. Our commercial chlorinators are absolutely best in class and eliminate trillions of litres of water wastage when converted from liquid or granular chlorine dosing.
AIS Water is the future of water disinfection.
• Purposefully built micro chlorine generator
• Up to 10g/hr output prevents adverse health conditions caused by over-chlorination
• Resistant to high ambient temperatures
• 4 years warranty with no hidden terms
• International award-winning technology
• Chlorine output from 65g/hr up to 3,000g/hr
• TDS range 1,200 ppm to seawater
• For aquatic centres, FINA (Olympic) pools swim schools, resorts/hotels, lagoons, water parks, cruise ships, schools and universities
• Saves 1.6 million litres of water in one 50M pool annually (backed by university study)
New AIS Water residential chlorinator is coming soon.
During the pandemic AIS Water opened its new state-of-the-art anode manufacturing facility in Brisbane.
• 730m2 facility with cutting edge technology
• AIS Water premium quality Anodes are now available worldwide
41 Bridge Road, Glebe, NSW, 2037 Australia
Fax: (02) 9660 4419
On behalf of The Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Australia Ltd (SPASA Australia)
chrismaher@intermedia.com.au
Veda Dante, Cal Stanley, Brett Lloyd Abbott, David Stennett
david@spasa.com.au
Chris Papaspiros Jacqui Cooper 1800 651 422 subscriptions@intermedia.com.au
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Disclaimer: This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”) on behalf of SPASA Australia. Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that
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Copyright © 2022 - SPASA Australia.
The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the above supporters, nor should any product advertised in SPLASH! magazine be seen to be endorsed by the above.
Chris Maher Managing Editorchrismaher@ intermedia.com.au
I recently travelled through the ancient world. Hierapolis, Ephesus, Pompeii. One of the things that struck me was how some aspects of those ancient cities are so like their modern equivalents. Row upon row of big city terrace houses with the fronts sold off for retail, taking advantage of the passing traffic. Huge malls where items of every type were sold. Pedestrian crossings that look like modern ones, except made from actual stepping stones to get across the sunken cobblestone roads. Ancient advertising chiselled in rock along the roadsides.
And swimming pools.
We tend to think of swimming pools and spas as fairly modern additions to households and public spaces. My trip proved to me how wrong that is. As you approached the gate to each of the ancient cities, the guards first would direct you to the adjacent baths. There you would wash off the accumulated dirt from the road and cleanse yourself, then relax in a large mosaic-tiled pool with fellow travellers before entering the city, clean and refreshed. The water was also heated during the winter, and featured gravity fed fountains.
The plumbing was also familiar: butterfly valved faucets, terracotta pipes that are still common beneath older homes in Australian cities, as well as lead pipework. Although the lead pipes eventually caused illness when the water was imbibed over many years, it had already extended the lives of the city inhabitants by vastly improving the city’s sanitation, therefore helping reduce disease.
Individual homes also had pools – although some were relatively shallow, and often doubled as fish ponds and fountains. Ancient homeowners would spend all summer lounging with their families around their pools, cooled by the moving water and regular dips, before moving to the warmer part of their homes in winter.
A pool, even 2200 years ago, was a vital part of healthy urban life.
Nowadays, more people have swimming pools and that can only be a good thing. The federal government recently announced they plan to help build up to one million new homes in coming years. While the numbers and the timeline are rubbery at best, it is at least a good sign. And even though many of the new homes built in the short term will be “affordable”, chances are there will be space for thousands of new pools and spas.
And that will improve the health, wellbeing and positive outlook of our modern urban population.
The Intermedia Group takes its Corporate and Social Responsibilities seriously and is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. We continuously strive to improve our environmental performance and to initiate additional CSR based projects and activities. As part of our company policy we ensure that the products and services used in the manufacture of this magazine are sourced from environmentally responsible suppliers. This magazine has been printed on paper produced from sustainably sourced wood and pulp fibre and is accredited under PEFC chain of custody. PEFC certified wood and paper products come from environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests. The wrapping used in the delivery process of this magazine is 100% recyclable.
Changes in manufacturing processes have led to waterslides that have coloured motifs and patterns on both the inside and outside of the tube, designed to really immerse guests in the park's theme. More on waterparks on page 70. Image by Polin Waterparks.
22
In the fifth article in his series on the qualities of water, Cal Stanley summaries some of his earlier observations, looking at head, suction, cavitation and filtration rates.
36
SR Smith’s Australian journey
Just prior to him becoming the head of the new Fluidra Commercial division, Jeremy Smith spoke to SPLASH! and gave us a potted history of SR Smith.
24
The three things every modern pool builder’s website should have Just how important is a cutting-edge website for a modern pool builder? Brett Lloyd Abbott believes it is crucial.
David Stennett speaks to delegates and presenters at the Future Security Planning Day, which brought pool and spa industry leaders together to plan and collaborate, for the long term benefit of the industry.
GEMS manager Nina Bogucki explains what is happening with minimum energy efficiency performance requirements and the residential swimming pool industry.
Lindsay Hartshorne explains how the relationship with eventual acquirer BWT developed, and what is next for him and the company.
38 Ukraine and Europe
from Tibor Meszaros
Tibor Meszaros from Compass Europe updates us on the situation in and around Ukraine, as well as how the war is affecting Europe as a whole.
41
Veda Dante follows the trajectory of water testing in the swimming pool industry, and looks into what is state-of-the-art, and what is on the horizon.
54
All the winners and runners up in the SPASA Australia National Awards of Excellence, including the most coveted awards of all: Pool of the Year, Spa of the Year, Business of the Year, Product of the Year and Commercial Project of the Year.
62
It was a record-breaking year with more than 50 categories covering off all areas and allowing all corners of the New Zealand industry to showcase their talents.
68
The 2400-metre long resort pool
The Khao Lak Resort & Spa in Thailand, home to South East Asia’s longest swimming waterway. 70
How waterparks are using research and technology to enable guest to become literally immersed in themed entertainment.
In a ground-breaking decision, the SPASA WA Committee has reviewed a SPASA Australia proposal for amalgamation, and has unanimously agreed to support it.
The proposal outlined the benefits and legalities of a potential merger. After careful consideration, the SPASA WA Committee voted unanimously to recommend the amalgamation, subject to the results of due diligence and some additional information to be provided by SPASA Australia.
That work is currently being undertaken, with a vote anticipated before the end of the year. Members will be provided with the formal proposal as well as guidance from the SPASA WA Committee, and information sessions will be held where they can ask questions to ensure an informed vote takes place.
SPASA WA president Liz Hollingdale says the committee believes it is time to make the next logical step.
“We’ve been collaborating and aligning our practices with the national body for the past five years,” she says. “We’re hopeful to participate in a way that safeguards the unique aspects of the WA industry.
The number of ways the pool and spa industry can reach consumers has expanded thanks to the continuing collaboration between SPASA Australia and The Home Show consumer expos.
The Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo brand will continue to have a presence at Home Shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, giving the industry the opportunity to reach thousands of potential new customers.
SPASA Australia CEO Lindsay McGrath says that after years of collaboration with key partners, event managers and members, SPASA will now be able to deliver 11 expos across Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
The 2022 pool and spa consumer show held at the Melbourne Showgrounds
“This is an exciting proposal and it will be a big step forward. We ask that all members take an active interest in this matter.”
Hollingdale says she has reasonable grounds to believe the vote can be achieved before the end of the year, after information sessions have been held and once all legal and due diligence requirements have been met.
“The feeling is very good on both sides, and the decision of the WA Committee was unanimous,” she says.
SPASA Australia CEO Lindsay McGrath says the amalgamation represents a great opportunity to add value for Western Australia, while incorporating the positive contributions of WA members into the national body.
“If the proposal is accepted it will be mutually beneficial for all parties, making both WA and SPASA Australia better.”
SPLASH! will update this story as developments progress.
For more information contact executive officer Sadie Stevenson on (08) 9479 6100 or sadie@spasawa.com.au.
“Having consolidated the show experience for exhibitors and consumers alike, there is now one, bold brand that stands out to consumers,” he says.
“The Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expos are where prospective and existing pool and spa owners flock to see, touch and feel the products our industry provides, as well as taking the opportunity to speak face to face with experts and have all their queries answered.”
In addition to the standalone pool and spa expos owned by SPASA on behalf of the industry, the partnership with the Home Shows moves into its second year, after three successful expos in 2022 which saw 65,000 visitors through the doors.
“It’s important to continuously showcase the industry offerings regularly as we seek to grow the market,” says McGrath. “All shows have different strengths and members now have a choice, under one brand, to participate at the expos that best suit their marketing strategies.”
Feb 3-5
Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, Victoria
Feb 18-19 SPASA WA Pool Spa Outdoor Living Expo, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth
Feb 24-26 Brisbane Autumn Home Show
Feb 25-26 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, New South Wales
March 25-26 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, South Australia (TBC)
Apr 1-2 New Zealand Pool and Spa Expo
Apr 21-23 Melbourne Autumn Home Show
May 20-21 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, Queensland
Aug 25-27 Melbourne Home Show
Sep 8-10 Brisbane Home Show
Oct 13-15 Sydney Home Show
The Master Pool Builders Association Australia (MPBAA) and the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia (SPASA) have announced that the February 2023 Melbourne Pool and Spa Show will be presented by both SPASA and MPBAA.
MPBAA and SPASA acknowledge the positive impact one summer show would make to the members, the community, and the industry at large. The Melbourne Pool & Spa Show will run from February 3 to February 5, 2023, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
With a joint commitment to delivering a professional and sophisticated pool and spa show, both organisations have said they are thrilled at the development.
A joint position from the CEOs, Chris Samartzis and Lindsay McGrath stated:
“We have listened to members and exhibitors and in the interests of all, both associations have come together for the greater good.”
The show is expected to contain everything traditionally associated with the dynamic and successful summer show, with a huge range of pool and spa offerings along with backyard inspiration.
The associations have signed a three-year agreement to work together on the Melbourne summer show to provide long-term stability and consistency for exhibitors.
An event prospectus will be available in early October 2022 for exhibitors to contact their association representatives.
The Melbourne Pool & Spa Show has a history going back 40 years, and is billed as the largest consumer pool and spa show in the southern hemisphere.
Lindsay McGrath, CEO of SPASA Australia, says that it is a common sense decision for the benefit of exhibitors, members and the public.
“Having a combined summer show enables members to participate in a single expo to reach prospective purchasers in Victoria, saving considerable resources and expense – while allowing the public to find everything they need under the one roof.”
Chris Samartzis, CEO of MPBAA, says: “We are thrilled to see both Master Pool Builders Australia and SPASA Australia come together in the interests of all in the industry to produce one summer show in Melbourne on February 3rd to 5th, 2023.
“For over 40 years the Melbourne Pool & Spa Show has become synonymous with the backyard aspirations of Victorians. The largest consumer pool and spa show in the Southern Hemisphere, it has been providing Victorians with extraordinary consumer experiences,” he says.
“The Melbourne Pool & Spa Show is the iconic event in summer that is held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and 2023 promises to be the biggest and best yet.”
Contact: www.spasa.com.au; www.mpbaa.com.au
Comparing the available pool DA figures for the 12 months to September with the same period last year, annual applica tions were dead level nationally. Western Australia was up by 22 per cent, Queensland was up by eight per cent, Victoria was up one per cent, but New South Wales was down by seven per cent and South Australia was down by 30 per cent. The numbers over the most recent three months were down by 13 per cent nationally when compared to the same period last year. The July-September numbers from Cordell show Western Australia up by 20 per cent and Victoria up by four per cent, while New South Wales was down by 26 per cent, Queensland down by 10 per cent, and South Aus tralia down by 39 per cent.
Sunbather has opened a new manufacturing space at its head office site in Hastings, Victoria.
The new 1500sqm facility represents an increase of under-roof manufacturing space by 75 per cent, and is home for their steel manufacturing works and warehousing. As demand for their products has increased, the need for further space had become overdue, and is now alleviated thanks to this facility.
Managing director Tom Boadle says it will help bolster the future of their Australian-made products, which have been produced in Victoria since 1974.
Boadle says the increase in space had been planned for nearly 10 years.
“The facility was given the green light in May 2021, and fortunately local councils at the time were fasttracking building approvals to stimulate building activity throughout lockdowns, allowing the facility to be completed in a very short time frame given the disruptive state of supply chains,” he says.
He says that since completion, significant investment has been made in upgrading plant and machinery, with manufacturing automation high on the priority list to reduce lead times and increase product quality. This upgrade will continue for a further six months.
He adds that having recently been purchased by a global manufacturer Fluidra, Sunbather has had tremendous support in generating all-round continuous improvements in the business, particularly with respect to efficient and lean manufacturing processes, all of which bring more value to customers.
All Pool Systems customers who purchased a Madimack heat pump between May and September 2022 were eligible for a generous prize of a $10,000 JB HiFi voucher.
The aim was to grow awareness of the whole Madimack range and its availability from Pool Systems, while offering a prize that the lucky winner could use in their business and personal life.
Wade from Sublime Pool Care was the lucky winner, and he plans to use some of the prize money to buy whitegoods for the business and possibly a drone and TV for home.
Pool Systems thanked Madimack for their support with this campaign.
Keep informed by subscribing to the free online newsletter.
New Kew aquatic centre roof collapses in the middle of the night The redevelopment of the Kew Recreation Centre suffered a serious setback as the roof collapsed at about 10pm on October 20.
The online stories that made the news over the past two months.
Jeremy Smith appointed GM of Fluidra Commercial
Fluidra Australia has established Fluidra Commercial as a dedicated business unit within the company, appointing SR Smith’s national sales manager Jeremy Smith as GM.
SPASA WA recommends amalgamation with SPASA Australia
In a ground-breaking decision, the SPASA WA Committee has reviewed a SPASA Australia proposal for amalgamation, and has unanimously agreed to support it.
Community hero, VBA inspector Robert Karkut passes away
The well-known swimming pool Standards committee member, pool safety barriers advocate and local wildlife savour passed away.
Global investment firm invests in Poolwerx US-based global venture and growth equity investment firm Norwest has invested a substantial amount in Poolwerx to support the franchisor’s plans for ambitious growth.
Nov 15-18 International Pool, Spa, Patio Expo, Las Vegas, USA
Nov 15-18 Piscine Global Expo, Lyon, France
Nov 18 ASSA WA Seminar, Scarborough Beach, Perth
Nov 29-30 Piscina22, Rimini, Italy
Nov 23-25 Recreation Aotearoa Conference, Rutherford Hotel Whakatu/Nelson
Jan 12-14 Aquafun expo, Istanbul, Turkey
Jan31-Feb2 Spatex, Coventry, UK
Feb 3-5 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, Victoria
Feb15-17 Forum Piscine, Bologna, Italy
Feb 18-19 SPASA WA Pool Spa Outdoor Living Expo, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth
Feb 24-26 Brisbane Autumn Home Show
Feb 25-26 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, New South Wales
March 25-26 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, South Australia (TBC)
March 27-31 ASSA National Conference, Glenelg, South Australia
Apr 1-2 New Zealand Pool and Spa Expo
Apr 21-23 Melbourne Autumn Home Show
May 20-21 Pool & Spa Lifestyle Expo, Queensland
Aug 25-27 Melbourne Home Show
Sep 8-10 Brisbane Home Show
Oct 13-15 Sydney Home Show
Oct 24-27 Aquanale, Cologne, Germany
Nov 27-30 Piscina & Wellness, Barcelona
More details at splashmagazine.com.au. Dates are subject to change and should be checked with the relevant organisation. Send calendar submissions to info@splashmagazine.com.au
Freshwater swimming at your finger tips
Oxiswim combines all the most practical ways to sanitise the pool and puts them at your fingertips. For the 1st time, this revolutionary system allows the pool owner two options:
Freshwater pool: a silky-smooth bathing experience during the swimming season
Winter or chlorine pool: easily switch to a chlorinated pool during the off season
www.waterco.com
The Victorian industry, together with the Block’s TV audience, are in mourning following the passing of young shotcrete and steel fixer, Jon-Jeremy Bradey better known as Jon Jon.
He was only 42, and left behind his loving wife Candice, and much loved children Anileese (17), Kobe (15) and Amelia (15),
Jon Jon was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and after moving to Australia started A Plus Enterprises, which he has been operating for 10 years, specialising in shotcreting and steelfixing for the pool and basement industries.
He and his team have been instrumental in the past two seasons of The Block, along with Australia’s first dedicated TV show for the industry, Best Pools, which has just finished its first 10-week run on 9Life.
His wife Candice remembers him as a true artist, skilful in his trade and meticulous in his workmanship, and proud of every job he completed. He shared his skill and was a great mentor and friend to many. Often referred to as a true gentleman of the industry, Jon Jon was a family man with a passion for the outdoors –basketball, gym, surfing – and he loved his pet birds (namely Tiki).
“The pool industry has lost an icon. As humble as Jon Jon was, his eye for detail also earnt him
another nickname, Mr One Per Cent. He was always making sure that every spray was finished to the highest degree. Anything could be achieved when he was at the helm, which I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand. A true legacy the great man has left behind. The A Plus Enterprises team will no doubt uphold that, and has the full support and trust of everyone behind them.
“To have the opportunity to work with someone so reliable, trustworthy and a leader to his team always gave me the confidence of knowing that the end result will be delivered. When spray day was upon us, not only the excitement from the client that the spray boys were there, and the pool was about to take shape, for me, knowing a day of witty banter and watching the team in their element delivering the task at hand was a joy to watch. Jon Jon, a man of integrity, you will be dearly missed by more than you’ll ever know, I always admired your work ethic and ‘haters gonna hate’ attitude.
“To a peer and friend, rest in peace brother, you’ll never be matched or forgotten.”
Reece Daniltchenko, Franklin Pools
“An exceptional man who always greeted each task as a happy challenge with a big grin.
“No matter how busy life got over the last couple of covid lockdown crazy years, we could always have a laugh through the stress.
“Johnny Boy, the pipes the pipes are piping Johnny Boy – the pipes are piping Dan; never did I ever think that I wouldn’t be able to greet you again with the song and hear you answer in an Irish accent.
“You have left a significant mark and hole in our lives and we are all still in shock at your sudden passing. The pool industry is at a loss for words.”
Daniel Cutugno, Horizon PoolsFreshwater pool system provider, Naked Pools, has launched a 12 month customer care plan. The plan provides every new customer with a personalised check-in to familiarise themselves with the system, access to ongoing support and online resources, and the convenient Naked App to ensure pool maintenance and troubleshooting is easy.
Naked also launched a Freshwater Pool Specialist partnership program.
To learn more about these programs, contact Christian Brookhouse at christian@nakedpools.com or call 1800 625 331.
Elena Gosse, CEO of AIS Water, has been named Business Person of the Year at the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards. Gosse won the award thanks to her company’s commitment to safe, simple and smart water disinfection technology for commercial and residential swimming pools, and her contribution to her community. In June, she received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to manufacturing and to the community, acknowledging her ongoing work in advocacy and fundraising for the prevention of domestic and family violence. Pentair has signed on as Gold SPASA Australia sponsor for another year. Pentair’s head of sales and marketing, Bipin Menon, says these partnerships with industry represent a purposeful investment in both protecting industry interests and creating growth pathways for all. Major events proudly supported by Pentair in 2013 will include: Awards of Excellence program across Australia and New Zealand; regional member networking events, meetings and forums; leadership events; WAVES women in industry events; and industry training and education events.
Suzie Kent, the long term SPASA Australia marketing manager, moved on from the organisation in September. Most people dealing with the association were familiar with Suzie and would have worked with her over the past 10 years. She was much loved by the SPASA team and by the members. SPASA thanked her for her decade of service and wished her well on her next adventure.
Biolab Australia has initiated a voluntary recall of a number of chemical products due to an out-of-specification result on specific batches. The products do not present any new safety risks, hazard risks, or efficacy risks. The recalls are limited to the batches identified.
The products were sold nationally between 1 January 2021 and 20 April 2022.
Pool Oxidiser Lite
Reference: 2022/030
APVMA registration number: 51798
APVMA label number: 113160
Batch numbers: 21D20A1, 20E11A1, 20H20A1
Pool Oxidiser Salt Pool Sparkle Reference: 2022/031
APVMA registration number: 52524
APVMA label number: 114378
Batch numbers: 21D20A1, 20E11A1, 20H20A1
ProGuard Shock Plus Oxidiser Reference: 2022/032
APVMA registration number: 66447
APVMA label number: 53658
Batch numbers: 21D20A1, 20E11A1, 20H20A1
BioGuard Spa Purity Reference: 2022/033
APVMA registration number: 62105
APVMA label number: 116106
Batch numbers: 21D20A1, 20E11A1, 20H20A1
Please direct all calls and any queries concerning these voluntary recalls to: Biolab Australia Pty Ltd
Phone: +1800 033 461 Email: biolabAU@biolabinc.com
Fluidra Australia has established Fluidra Commercial as a dedicated business unit within the company, appointing SR Smith’s national sales manager Jeremy Smith as the general manager of the new division. Fluidra acquired SR Smith in 2021.
SR Smith has had a strong presence in the commercial pool market for more than 85 years. The recent acquisition of the business has strengthened and expanded Fluidra’s commercial product offering which also includes world renowned brands AstralPool, Cepex, Antiwave and SkyPool. Sunbather, an earlier acquisition of SR Smith, is also part of Fluidra Commercial.
The new structure brings together the SR Smith Australia and Fluidra Commercial teams who collectively contribute decades of knowledge and experience to architects, consultants and commercial pool builders
Jeremy Smith has been involved in the swimming pool industry for more than 20 years. For the past eight years he has held the position of national sales manager for SR Smith Australia. His appointment to general manager for Fluidra Commercial will see him oversee manufacturing, operations, sales and support for the commercial business in Australia and New Zealand.
“We are very excited about taking Fluidra’s commercial offering to the next level with the new business structure,” says Smith.
“Creating a dedicated division for Fluidra’s commercial business means we can leverage local and global resources in project management, in-house engineering, operations and customer service to support replacement market sales, new aquatic projects and major renovations.”
Fluidra Commercial provides a complete product offering in the commercial pool space including plant room equipment, competition swimming products, and movable walls and floors.
Contact: au-commercial@fluidra.com
Fluidra stalwart and pool industry expert, David Daft, has been appointed national service manager for Fluidra Australia.
In his new role, he will oversee a team of more than 20 Fluidra service technicians, as well as supporting and coordinating product training for Fluidra’s extensive network of authorised repair agents.
Daft has worked in the industry for more than 23 years, starting with Polaris Pool Systems in 1999 before it was acquired by Zodiac Group Ltd. The company consequently merged with AstralPool under Fluidra in 2018.
Over those years he has worked in various roles including operations, sales and marketing, becoming an expert in all areas of the pool and spa industry. He has become a valuable
source of product knowledge and training – not only to company staff, but to customers and industry bodies.
Daft has also been involved in many projects with SPASA Australia which have led to the betterment of the industry and was recently recognised for his contribution to the industry at this year’s NSW SPASA Awards.
“I find the people in the industry and associated trades great to deal with, both professionally and personally,” he says.
“I am very passionate about the products we sell at Fluidra, and I’m proud to be in a role where, together with my team, we can provide beneficial solutions and superior service to customers and consumers.”
BWT Pool Group has acquired Seaford Transformers Pty Ltd, a manufacturer of salt chlorinators known in the Australian market under the brands Aussie Chlorinators, Xtreme and Pro-Lite.
The company joined the BWT Pool Group effective October 4, 2022. Under the new ownership, the business will trade as Aussie Chlorinators Australia Pty Ltd.
Managing directors and owners of Seaford, Glenn and Jill Parsons, are looking forward to being part of the BWT Pool Group and expanding the range of their products and portfolio of services.
Glenn Parsons says he is pleased to continue in his role as managing director and all his staff will continue to run the business as before at the current location in Woodford, Queensland.
“We are very pleased to be supported in our internationalisation strategy by BWT and their network,” he says.
“Our sincere thanks are given to all our employees for their loyalty and contribution to develop the company successfully over the past 25 years.”
He says that the technological and marketing support by BWT is very welcome.
“This will help further outstanding developments and grow the local and international business of Aussie Chlorinators’ partners,” he says.
Andreas Weissenbacher, CEO of BWT Group, is enthusiastic about welcoming the Parsons and their team into the BWT family.
“I am very pleased that Glenn and Jill enabled us to invest in Aussie, which will provide another key technology to the broad range of BWT pool water treatment products. Together with Glenn as CEO and his experienced team, the business will be further developed with the existing valuable customers and suppliers, and with the additional support of the international BWT organisation,” says Weissenbacher.
Since BWT’s foundation in 1990, the group has been dedicated to its vision of perfect water. Today this passion and the expertise in all areas of water technologies have enabled BWT to become a leading water technology group. “For You and Planet Blue” as well as “Change the world – sip by sip” express the mission of BWT to take ecological, economic and social responsibility, to provide to its partners and customers the best products, systems, technologies and services in all areas of water treatment and pool equipment, while simultaneously contributing valuably to preserve the global resources of our blue planet.
Australian swimming pool lighting manufacturer PAL Lighting has acquired a new US-based manufacturing business and facility with the purchase of Precision Architectural Lighting, based in Texas.
Precision Architectural Lighting is a commercial LED fixture manufacturer established in 1988. The company has an extensive history of providing linear LED fixture solutions, collaborating with architecture and engineering companies throughout North America.
The acquisition will bring US manufacturing and additional support to PAL Lighting, establishing a new North American headquarters based on a 4.24 acre (1.72 hectare) block and a 35,196 sq ft (3270 square metre) facility in Houston, Texas.
There are significant product and market synergy growth opportunities for both PAL Lighting and Precision Architectural Lighting in the move.
Allen Kalkomey, executive vice president and general manager of PAL Lighting says they will be able to expand across not only the pool, landscape and outdoor market but also the commercial lighting market.
“We are excited to bring the two organisations together and build on the existing foundation,” says Kalkomey.
“Design, quality, and customer focus are common strengths and values embodied in both entities, and I believe we can unify our efforts to propel long term growth.”
David Sanson, CEO of PAL Lighting, says Precision Architectural Lighting is a perfect fit with their existing operation in southern California.
“Since PAL Lighting’s inception, we have established a differentiated growth strategy and entrepreneurial culture that is focused on serving our customers, partnering with our suppliers and attracting the industries best talent.”
PAL Lighting manufactures their advanced pool lighting systems in Caringbah, NSW, specialising in lighting a wide range of spaces from small spas and plunge pools through to immense resort style pools, focussing on basic illumination principles, innovative vision and the latest technology in LED lighting.
As well as the new facility in Texas, they have a fulfillment centre in La Habra California and a European office in Zandhoven, Belgium.
“Thecollaboration
ofPAL Lighting
andPrecision Architectural
Lighting will be the key in providing our custom lighting solutions to the North American market,” Sanson says.
The Jim’s Pool Care national conference was held in tandem with the recent SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show on the Gold Coast.
The conference traditionally aligns with SPLASH! as a way for delegates to enjoy both events during the one week. However, the covid pandemic that forced SPLASH! to be delayed, also caused the Jim’s conference to be postponed.
General manager Brett Blair says that being able to attend the SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show enabled excellent opportunities for franchisees to see the latest trends in the pool industry, and to explore the latest products and developments.
He also says that feedback was very positive about the annual conference. There was a range of guest speakers, suppliers and a well-received keynote from the famous financial commentator Noel Whittaker.
“Noel gave his thoughts on the current economic situation and plenty of advice about just focusing on the small things you can control. Noel is a true believer in always putting some money away each month towards your future and eventual retirement.”
Blair says that while there have been supply issues and regular trade price increases for the past 18 months, the pool industry has grown year on year for the past three years and he truly believes the industry is in great shape for the future.
“It is an exciting time in our history, and we need to monitor our businesses closely, but I feel positive that we have a great season ahead.”
Poolwerx celebrated its top performing franchise partners at their annual convention held in person for the first time in two years, coinciding with their 30-year anniversary.
The awards recognise and reward Poolwerx’ established and up-and-coming franchise partners in Australia and New Zealand.
Poolwerx CEO Nic Brill says it was a very special year for the brand.
"As we celebrate 30 years of Poolwerx, it was a time to reflect on our legacy and also look to the future and what’s to come,” he says.
The awards night saw entrepreneurs Michelle and Rob Hudson, owners of two local Poolwerx shops in Albury and Wodonga, recognised as the 2022 Franchise Partners of the Year.
Retail Store of the Year – Poolwerx Ringwood, VIC
New Retail Store of the Year – Poolwerx Bendigo, VIC
Retail Salesperson of the Year – Simon Martin, Poolwerx Jimboomba, QLD
New Retail Salesperson of the Year – Nicky Seaton, Poolwerx Noosa, QLD
Pool & Spa Technician of the Year – Cory Thomson, Poolwerx Spearwood WA
New Pool & Spa Technician of the Year –Anthony Otto, Poolwerx Happy Valley, SA
Brand Excellence – Poolwerx Upper North Shore, NSW
Technical Excellence – Poolwerx Kalamunda, WA
Innovation & Entrepreneurial Excellence –Poolwerx Castle Hill, NSW
Rising Star – Poolwerx Auckland South, NZ
Most Improved – Poolwerx Wagga Wagga, NSW
B2B Excellence – Poolwerx Albury, VIC
Employer of the Year – Poolwerx Albany Creek, QLD
Top Mobile Sales (Single Territory) – Poolwerx Coffs Harbour, NSW
Top Cross Counter Sales – Poolwerx Dubbo, NSW
Top B2B Sales – Poolwerx Mt Gravatt, QLD
Top National Sales – Poolwerx Indooroopilly, QLD
Woman of the Year – Michaella Dunker, Poolwerx Jimboomba, QLD
Outstanding Team Contribution – Poolwerx Indooroopilly, QLD PSC Team Member of the Year –Lesley Berry
BDM of the Year, Calan McIntosh, BNE North and Central QLD
Hall of Fame – Karen & Kevin Scott, Manduarah WA, Janelle & Chris Harzenberg, Beverly Hills, NSW and Andrew Kidd, CEO USA
FP of the Year BNE South, FNQ, Northern NSW – Poolwerx Jimboomba
FP of the Year BNE North, Central QLD –Poolwerx Indooroopilly
FP of the Year NSW & ACT – Poolwerx Upper North Shore
FP of the Year South Australia – Poolwerx Happy Valley
FP of the Year VIC & TAS –Poolwerx Albury
FP of the Year WA – Poolwerx Kalamunda
FP of the Year NZ – Poolwerx Bay of Plenty
In the fifth article in his series on the qualities of water, Cal Stanley summaries some of his earlier observations, looking at head, suction, cavitation and filtration rates.
By Cal StanleyWater has no tensile strength, so a pump cannot pull or “suck” water up a suction pipe. A pump can only create a partial vacuum in its impeller so that the water is pushed up the pipe into the pump by atmospheric pressure (and/or by gravity if the pump is below the water source).
Atmospheric pressure at sea level is 101.325kPa, which for most exercises will be rounded off to 100kPa. This then means that the absolute theoretical maximum lift any pump can achieve is 10 metres. In reality no pump can attain this lift but a well-designed commercial pump can attain a lift of 8.5m. Swimming pool pumps are not that powerful and most will only achieve a lift of 3.5m to 5m.
If the head loss in metres in a pump suction line exceeds the available lift, then the pump will get no water.
Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHr)
NPSHr is a function of a specific pump design. In simple terms, it is the pressure measured at the centreline of the pump suction necessary for the pump to function satisfactorily at a given flow. NPSHr can only be obtained from the manufacturer.
Net Positive Suction Head Required available (NPSHa)
NPSHa is specific to the design of any suction system. It will vary with all those factors that impede the flow of water in a suction line, such as the height difference between the water source and the centreline of the pump, the friction in the line and the vapour pressure of the water.
NPSHa is the amount of actual pressure at which the water is delivered to entry point of the pump. The higher the pressure, the higher will be the NPSHa and the better the pump will operate.
I used to believe that cavitation was simply a vacuum anywhere in the suction side of a pump caused by the available supply of water being less than the demand of the pump.
Not entirely so! Cavitation actually takes place within the pump impellor, not the hair and lint pot. Cavitation occurs when the water in the pump boils. Yes, boils!
Remember, a pump works by creating a low pressure area in the centre into which atmospheric pressure pushes the water. Remember also that at low pressure water boils at a low temperature – for example, water on Mt Everest at a pressure of only 36kPa boils at 69degreesC.
And where there is no vacuum (that is, everywhere except in space or a controlled space), there is air pressure (at sea level of the air pressure is 101 kPa). A vacuum is an area without air, where absolute pressure is 00. The inside of a pump is an area of low pressure constantly being topped up by the inrushing water. When the water inrush is inhibited, pressure is very low, and thus the water in there can boil very easily – and it will do it very low temperatures.
When water boils it first creates growing pockets of vapour held within the water by the weight of the water plus the air pressure. These bubbles of vapour generate more and more energy until they have enough to overcome the pressure and escape from the water in the form of vapour or steam.
But escape is not possible from within the pump.
When vapour bubbles form in the water they gain energy but also volume – 1600 times that of their liquid state when boiling at 100degreesC. When, at time of cavitation, they form at water temperatures as low as 20degreesC and a pressure of only 2kPa to 3kPa, then the volume increase is approximately 58,000 times that of the liquid state. So, while the “cavity” or “void” we get in a hair and lint pot may well be a vacuum associated with cavitation, it is not part of the actual cavitation.
Within the impellor, the vapour bubbles can’t escape as easily as from a pot of boiling water. The bubbles are formed at the centre of the impellor where the pressure is lowest and as they move outwards, they enter an area of higher pressure, then collapse and re-join the water.
When they collapse the energy release is directed as a micro jet in a direct line, and when it hits the impellor surface it causes micropitting damage. Over time, the pump will wear out quite quickly. When the energy doesn’t hit the surface, it causes noise.
The life of a cavitation bubble is about 3 milliseconds so they can form and collapse over 333 times per second.
For more information on cavitation see Joe Adams article at www.pumped101.com
Absolute maximum filtration rate is 900 lpm/sqm of surface area of the filter.
Preferred maximum filtration rate:
• Domestic pool: 800 lpm/sqm
• Commercial pool: 600 lpm/sqm
• Domestic spa: 600 lpm/sqm
• Commercial spa: 400 lpm/sqm
To get the maximum flow through a sand filter multiply the above rate by the surface area in sqm.
All manufacturers will supply the width or diameter of the filter from which the surface area can be calculated. Before any calculation, make sure to use the internal diameter as many are marketed with the external diameter only. Where only the outside diameter is known, the wall thickness must be known or estimated and then deducted. Some manufacturers will actually supply the filter surface area on their brochures, but a quick check may determine that even this is based erroneously on the outside diameter.
Using the outside diameter means that permissible flow rates will be about five per cent less on larger filters and up to eight per cent less on smaller ones.
Use the filter area in square metres (divide square feet by 10.764 to convert to square metres).
Maximum filtration rates:
• Domestic pool: 18 lpm/sqm
• Commercial pool: 15 lpm/sqm
• Domestic spa: 15 lpm/sqm
• Commercial spa: 12 lpm/sqm
To get the maximum flow on a given filter, multiply the above rate by the surface area in sqm.
Flow rates below the maximum will always result in better filtration in cartridge filters. The same is true for sand filters, but care must be taken to ensure the flow is sufficient for a good backwash. n
For these articles Cal Stanley draws on his 30 years’ experience and success in pool construction, having run award-winning pool construction company Neptune Pools in Western Australia for three decades. He currently works as a pool consultant and delivers hydraulics courses for the swimming pool industry. Contact: neptunepools@westnet.com.au.
There are plenty of applications that can do this for you, such as Calendly. (The better CRMs will have this functionality built in too.)
You shouldn’t be wasting your time trying to chase down prospects and schedule appointments. Modern pool buyers are fully capable of clicking a link and scheduling their own meeting.
There is great value in pre-screening and pre-qualifying your prospects. You’ll save yourself the time, the effort, the petrol, and the general wear, tear and stress of trying to squeeze too many meetings into a week.
And your closing ratios will go up.
But this is a double-edged sword, because while it screens out prospects with wildly unrealistic expectations of what a new pool costs, it may also occasionally scare away prospects who would actually pay what you charge, but just don’t realise it yet.
So how you explain this on your website is rather crucial.
Because let’s be honest – if your projects start at six figures, and your prospect can’t go a penny over $50,000, then it’s a big fat waste of time for both of you to go any further. It’s better that they understand this before they ever call you in the first place.
This final recommendation is a little more subjective, but surprisingly more important than ever.
By Brett Lloyd AbbottI’ve talked for years about what a crucial role the website plays in the marketing for any pool builder.
I’ve repeatedly outlined some key ingredients that every pool builder website should have, such as:
• Good content. (It needs to tell a compelling story in a way that’s believable.)
• Easy to navigate. (It should be easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for.)
• Mobile-friendly. (Google penalises websites that aren’t mobile friendly.)
• Fast loading. (Google penalises websites that are slow.)
• Fully secure hosting. (Google penalises websites that are not secure.)
It should also be SEO-friendly. Besides good content, a website needs to have good meta tags, title tags, alt tags, etc – without resorting to any cheesy SEO tricks or keyword-stuffing like this:
“If you’re looking for a Brisbane pool builder who builds Brisbane area swimming pools, you’ve reached the Brisbane pool builder you can trust to build your Brisbane pool.”
Yes, I really did see a similar example of ridiculous “keyword-stuffing” on a live website. You don’t win over homeowners with garbage talk like that.
Let’s presume you already have all of the above.
Here are the three new things you should consider, to keep your website on the cutting edge:
Not just a “contact us” or “request a quote” button –but an actual appointment-setting link that connects interested prospects to your calendar, and only shows the dates and times where you would be available for a faceto-face meeting.
Let’s look at the reality. In 2023, versus 2018, your prices may have doubled, and your construction times tripled.
A simple three-month, $50,000 project is now nine months and over $100,000. So to the homeowner, buying a new inground pool is a bigger commitment than ever. They’ve really got to trust you now.
That means you’ve got to look the part. And by “you”, I mean your website.
I think it’s vital that your website visitors instantly recognise that you’re not just some fly-by-nighter who is suddenly dabbling in the new pool business. You should look like a professional class act with serious skills, capabilities and experience.
The website is the perfect place to tell this story. Any homeowner thinking about spending $100,000 or more in their backyard should feel overwhelmingly comfortable about hiring you for the job.
So to recap, I believe that, every website should:
1. Have a built-in appointment setting function.
2. Contain content that pre-screens and pre-qualifies prospects who can’t afford you.
3. Make you look, smell and feel like a million bucks. That way, for those people who can actually afford you, they know they’re dealing with the right person, and not just some “wannabe” who just recently jumped into the swimming pool construction industry. n
These articles by Pool Builder Marketing’s Brett Lloyd Abbott are designed to provide pool companies with unique insights that will help them address modern marketplace challenges.
Contact: www.poolbuildermarketing.com
The Future Security Planning Day was held in Melbourne in September, bringing leaders of the pool and spa industry together to participate, contribute and collaborate to help ensure the bright future of the sector. David Stennett spoke to some of the delegates and presenters, and here is a summary of the interviews.
When you’ve got a group of dynamic leaders together, they don’t need too much more information, but we need to glean the insights out of them so the industry can benefit from their wisdom. So today has been very much around taking their knowledge and their exper tise and their insights and turning it into a strategy and a plan to move forward.
Today has been very much about people. Where do I find the right people? How do I keep the right people? How do I set goals with those people? How do I engage and energise those people. So whether they be team members, whether they be franchisees, whether they be suppliers, whether they be contractors, or even if it's about how to engage and connect with customers. They're the themes from today.
is talking about the future, your business is really being very progressive and very innovative in running an event like this and you know what? It shapes the future of the industry. And that’s so important,
There is a huge amount of momentum in the industry to capitalise on, and the worst thing now would be to stop. You know, we’ve had that massive change. Let’s go on with it. Consumers are evolving, supply chains are evolving. People are evolving. And I think you have to be able to keep up with that.
Look, I think it’s an important day to get everyone together to understand the challenges that we all face, whether it’s people or the environment, you know, whatever it might be, I think it’s good to get everyone together, talk about the pain points and work through them.
Whether it’s manufacturers, retailers, distributors or builders, everyone’s facing the same challenges. So we’re all talking the same language going forward.
TOP:
country
RIGHT: Keith Abraham teased out the industry leader’s insights, so the whole industry could benefit from their wisdom
Today I want people to walk away with strategy. You know what they say about good ideas – they’re two-fifths of zip unless you can implement them. So implementation is the key, because that’s where people are going to get progress and momentum. And people get frustrated if they don’t feel like they’re making progress. So if we can get people to take the ideas and implement them, we’re on a winner.
Firstly, I think this industry is in very, very good hands. Secondly, your industry is having this session, which is talking about the future, while a lot of industries I’m working with, they’re talking about bailing out the boat at the moment. But this industry
I think this is the time where we’ll see paradigm changes in the industry, whether it’s the products that are being designed, the way we install products, or the way we sell them. I think it’s going to be exciting for the industry over the next 10 years.
It’s really about taking the time out of your day to learn and grow. We’re all busy. It’s a busy time of the year, but the opportunity to learn from each other, learn from the guest speakers and inspire ourselves –and then hopefully inspire our staff to keep growing and learn.
I think with everything has happened with covid. It’s a great opportunity to digitise your business. Look at QR codes. You look at all the online stuff –people are more willing to change. I think the beauty about covid and beauty about the disruption is we can implement systems, processes and technology that’s going to help us evolve and do our job quicker and easier.
We really want to support SPASA to make sure that we can understand what’s happening in the industry and also leverage our collective genius to make sure we are putting our best foot forward to take advantage of the amazing opportunity we have.
I’d love to see an understanding from where everybody else sits with the current challenges such as supply chain and getting the right employees, but also, how do we standardise across our industry to make sure that we have the best in class standards in our construction.
I think it’s a fabulous opportunity to have some really key leaders in the industry together to be able to learn from each other. And regardless of the competition, I think it’s a really valuable time to connect as an industry.
In relation to our risk and minimisation strategies, I think we’re able to assist all of these people in the room today, whether it’s a manufacturer or a commercial pool builder, somebody that starts things from scratch or builds things. At the end of the day, we can actually provide risk minimisation for all types of products. And I think that that’s what we can bring.
The first challenge is the talent shortage. So finding good people, and then when you’re getting good people – keeping them engaged and motivating them and keeping them working towards the same purpose – and to not burn out. Because everyone’s burnt out. Mental health, wellness, all of that is a factor.
That was a big topic today. Around people finding good people, keeping them happy and looking after them. People need people. n
ABOVE: The delegates gained insights into the thinking of global business leaders“Whether it’s manufacturers, retailers, distributors or builders, everyone’s facing the same challenges. So we’re all talking the same language going forward.”Networking was a key element of the day RIGHT: The audience was motivated and fully engaged
You can expect consistently clean, clear and hygienic pool water thanks to the Davey ChloroMatic Lifeguard, with acid dosing, chlorination and even pool temperature, which can all be scheduled from the app.
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Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) manager Nina Bogucki explains what is happening with minimum energy efficiency performance requirements (MEPS) and the residential swimming pool industry.
We’re at the SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show on behalf of the Equipment Energy Efficiency program and the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards regulator.
And we’re here to talk to the Swimming Pool & Spa Association and industry about the new mandatory requirements that are coming in for energy efficiency for pool pumps. There are a few different audiences we’re hoping to talk to, primarily the manufacturers and suppliers of pool pumps – they’ll be the ones mostly impacted by the new regulations that are coming in in October. We’re meeting with a lot of them here today, which is really great.
But we also have some labelling information available. That’s available for consumers as well, down the track, to help inform them to choose the right appliance and the most energy efficient pool pump for their pool. So we have we’ve been around, we’ve met with Pentair, and Fluidra, and a few of the other major manufacturers and we’ve had some great questions already about the requirements – what they look like and what they need to do for that 1 October date. And also to have a look at one of the registration processes and how they can be compliant with those requirements.
The key date is 1 October 2022, which is when the new regulations come into force. So we’re helping the industry become compliant with those regulations.
The equipment energy efficiency program, through the GEMS Act, has been going since 2012, as a nationwide state and territory (and New Zealand) government approach. Prior to that the energy rating label was available in each of the states and territories.
It’s been around for about 10 years now, in its current form, and we have 23 products, with pool pumps included. So it’s a great opportunity for us to start looking at it and see how we can increase that energy efficiency for the consumers.
The Equipment Energy Efficiency program works across a number of types of equipment and appliances. Most people are used to seeing the energy rating label on things like fridges and freezers, washing machines, TVs. Now we’re introducing it to pool pumps. They are large consumer of energy for households, so we’re looking at introducing ways to make those products more energy efficient.
Swimming pool pumps have two new requirements. One is what we call minimum energy performance standards or MEPS. This is the minimum level that pool pumps need to meet in order to be registered. And there will also be labelling requirements. We have the energy rating label that will be included with the product – and that has a 10-star energy efficiency label with information about the product on it.
They’re the two requirements that manufacturers, suppliers and retailers will need to meet for those products for household swimming pools – so those pools that are used in residential homes and that are within scope of the regulation.
The main thing is that people can get in touch with us at energyrating.gov.au or by our inquiries mailbox and ask us any questions that they might have so we can help them through the registration process.
SPLASH! conducted a series of video interviews at the 2022 SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show on the Gold Coast. This interviews and those on subsequent pages are also available to view as a video at SPLASHTV at www.splashmagazine.com. au/videos. More interviews will also be appearing in the next few printed issues of SPLASH! Additionally, further audio interviews will be available on the Ready Set SPLASH! podcast at https://splash. buzzsprout.com.
LEFT: A sample of the Energy Rating Label
Most swimming pool and spa pool pumps are now required to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance Standards (MEPS) and display an Energy Rating Label when being supplied.
These requirements have been established under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) Act 2012 and the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Swimming Pool Pump-units) Determination 2021.
To help suppliers, retailers, and installers with meeting these new requirements, SPASA has been working with the Australian Government Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards regulator (who is responsible for administering the new requirements) to develop fact sheets covering frequently asked questions.
These are all available at www.energyrating.gov.au Here are summaries of the fact sheets.
Retailers Fact Sheet: Displaying the Energy Rating Label
Retailers will be required to display the Energy Rating Label on swimming pool and spa pool pumps covered by the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 and the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Swimming Pool Pump-units) Determination 2021.
Suppliers Fact Sheet: Introduction to Requirements for Pool Pump Units
Suppliers, including manufacturers and importers, of swimming pool and spa pool pumps need to ensure applicable pumps meet the mandatory energy efficiency requirements.
Fact Sheet: Registering Pool Pumps
Suppliers, including manufacturers or importers, of pumps for spa and swimming pools, prefabricated or not, must register relevant pumps for sale in Australia by 1 October 2022.
From this date, pool pumps that don’t meet the minimum energy performance standard cannot be sold unless they were imported or manufactured in Australia before 1 October 2022. In this case, stock can be sold until exhausted.
Checklist for Complying with the new Pool Pump Requirements
Suppliers of swimming pool and spa pool pumps need to make sure applicable pumps meet the mandatory energy efficiency requirements. This checklist will help suppliers determine what they need to do to meet the new requirements.
Fact
The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Regulator takes a risk-based approach to compliance. The objective is to maximise the number of suppliers who voluntarily comply with the Act, while implementing strategies and responses to identify, and then deter, non-compliance.
Fact Sheet: Existing Pool Pump Stock — Before 1 October 2022
From 1 October 2022, all new pumps covered by the Determination will need to meet minimum energy performance standards, be registered, and display an Energy Rating Label.
Fact Sheet: Labelling for Pool Pumps, using the Energy Rating Label and Icon
Suppliers must provide and display the Energy Rating Label on swimming pool and spa pool pumps covered under the new requirements.
Fact Sheet: The Voluntary Energy Rating Labelling Program has ended
Suppliers may remember participating in the Voluntary Energy Rating Labelling Program (VERLP) for Swimming Pool Pump-units. This program has ended, and voluntary labels cannot be displayed after 31 March 2023. Pool pumps must now meet new requirements under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Swimming Pool Pump-units) Determination 2021 (the Determination). The scope and method for calculating minimum energy performance standards and energy star ratings have changed since the VERLP.
In some instances, companies may find themselves holding onto existing stock specifically for the purpose of repairs, replacement in limited circumstances, or in restricted layouts (e.g. spa cabinets) that may be unable to comply with the new requirements. In these limited situations, companies should contact the department for guidance, and they will consider a range of factors on a case-by-case basis.
Industry members are encouraged to keep visiting the MEPS Pool Pump page where additional fact sheets focused on questions and topics for retail stakeholders will be added in the coming days.
For more information, visit the Energy Rating website www.energyrating.gov.au. or email the regulator at energyrating@industry.gov.au. n
“The main thing is that people can get in touch with us at energyrating. gov.au or by our inquiries mailbox and ask us any questions that they might have so we can help them through the registration process.”
Lindsay Hartshorne spoke to SPLASH! at this June’s Pool & Spa Show, describing how the relationship with eventual acquirer BWT developed, and what is next for him and the company.
Going back a couple of years ago, I went over to New Orleans and I met Andreas [Weissen bacher], who owns BWT, and started talking him about bringing some robots into Australia.
And we create a good relationship. We started bringing some robots in, and we were doing quite well. He wanted to expand his position in Australia, and at the time I was trying to work out what my retirement
But more importantly, the staff. The staff have got that security to know that if anything did happen to me, the business is in good hands. And as a result of the acquisition, we’ve now put a few more people on, so that I’m not as heavily involved day to day. I’ve put a business development manager on, and he’s looking after all the new products that we’re bringing in from BWT. And I’m bringing in an accountant, a CPA to take all the accounting side of it away, as well. So that frees me up now, so that anything that’s going on in the business, there’s someone else involved in it.
And the relationship with BWT has been just absolutely fantastic. I just wish it happened 10 years ago, because it could have been on this journey for a much longer time.
plan was, because I was 73 at the time. And we talked about an acquisition, and it turned out to be a 100 per cent acquisition on the basis that I stayed on, and I was quite happy to stay on.
So I’ve got a contract for four years, after which I’ll go into a chairman of the board type role.
So for me, as I’ve been saying to a few people today, I couldn’t have written a script any better – I went from having no retirement plan to having a 100 per cent purchase. The good thing about that is, for my family, if anything did happen to me, my family don’t have to go through the process of selling a business.
We want to keep the core of the business in place, because it’s become a very strong business from starting off in1974. I purchased the business in 2002 and we went from a small business in 2002 with nine employees and one outlet in Melbourne, to now having 35 employees in three states and three big warehouses.
From that point of view, we’ve grown on the basis of supplying a whole range of spare parts, which is the core part of the business. But we’ve grown that into being more or less a house of brands, selling all the big OEM’s equipment.
We want to keep supplying that to our market. We’re friends with all the OEMs – because BWT own us
“I just wish it happened 10 years ago, because it could have been on this journey for a much longer time.”
were not a challenge – we keep saying that to them, that BWT want to come into the market to sell robots. And as well as robots, we’re selling the Kokido range of small battery spa vacuum cleaners, which is another acquisition that BWT made about 18 months ago. So the pool group in BWT now consists of Procopi in France, which is a big business in France with five plants and quite a big distribution, the Aquatron business in Israel where the robots have been made, Lincoln in Australia, and Kokido. So the pool group is quite strong, but they’re in product ranges that aren’t really challenges to the traditional OEMs.
So we want to try and hold the OEM business and grow our business with new products from BWT.
The most exciting new product, while I’ve got a chance to talk about it, is the Cosmy – I think you can see it over my shoulder.
That was released in Dallas last year, which I went over to see at a big launch. And the uptake of that has been magnificent. It’ll go right through the European market and the US market, and we’ve got stock on the way.
That’s quite revolutionary. In terms of the marketing and the colour scheme, you can have the robot change to any colour that you want. It’s lightweight, it’s quite good performing. So that’s quite new and innovative. So we’ll be pushing very hard on that with the show.
And we’ll be doing consumer promotions for trade and consumers to go to the Grand Prix – because BWT is the naming sponsor of the Alpine Formula One team. It’s a big investment, but an investment that gets the brand name out there, all around the world. So it’s our intention to promote that internally in Australia. So you’ll see the link with the Formula One on all our ads, that’s really important to us.
The guy who owns the company, Andreas, he’s got a passion for making the world a better place. And as you can see up there, he says Change the World Sip by Sip. That’s his objective – to rid the world of plastic bottles.
Because the investigations that have been done have determined that there’s 1.2 million plastic bottles made every minute in the world!
And there’s so much plastic in the ocean that they’re saying by 2050 there’ll be more plastic in the ocean than fish! So what we’re doing, we’re having bottle-free zones. There’s no plastic bottles on our stands. He’s going into relationships with a soccer club that he promotes in the European market. There are no plastic bottles allowed in there at all. All our companies are bottle-free zones. So we’re doing all we can to make the world a better place and change the world sip by sip.
And his motto is Do Something to Change the World Every Day. So that’s something that I wanted to get in because it’s very important. That’s in all our advertising. You’ll see it the Grand Prix along the side of the track – BWT BWT – and you’ll see Change the World Sip by Sip.
So that’s the mission that he’s got to make the world a better place.
The show looks fantastic. And I was talking to David yesterday and I see you’ve got an extra bay.
I believe there’s over 100, 105, 110 exhibitors. Walking through the show yesterday watching everyone build the stands, the number of stand that people obviously put money into is profound, and it just goes to show people are getting behind it and making it better.
I mean look at that stand behind us. As you can see it’s quite large and other people are putting money into stands to make the show more appealing.
So I think this is fantastic for the industry. Post-covid – the industry has had a pretty good run on covid – but now that covid is over it’s dropping off, but I think this will give it a real boost.
So full marks to the organisers for this. It looks fantastic. n
Just prior to him becoming the head of the new Fluidra Commercial division, Jeremy Smith spoke to SPLASH! and gave us a potted history of SR Smith.
SR Smith has been around since 1932, start ing out making diving boards, and through a process of innovation and acquisition, they eventually ended up in the commercial pool space and also the residential space.
Over the past eight years, we’ve grown exponentially on the residential side. It was slow uptake initially, because they were quite new products and high ticket items. And then eventually, once the market was conditioned, end consumers really loved the product. The sales were pulled through the trade, and year-on-year growth has been very strong on the residential range.
The commercial side has continued to develop – and our biggest focus has been on local manufacturing and innovation in that space. We went through a number of acquisitions to get where we are with our starting blocks, our lanes, and then some of the construction products –which are pool programming products, including swim walls, moveable floors and moveable bulkheads. That’s kind of an overview.
Now, for the most part on a new construction project for an aquatic facility, most facilities have been specified with our equipment, which is really cool, because it’s Australian-made, and we support it locally.
The majority of the facilities, once they’re fitted out, they have either SR Smith or Anti Wave branded products.
It’s been a positive relationship.
The good thing is we’ve worked quite closely with them in the past as a distributor, primarily on the residential side.
Part of Fluidra’s interest in SR Smith is really our commercial range – not just here, but in the US. And so we’ve continued to develop that range, and there’s been a lot of interest in it.
The good thing is they understand our business quite well and the success of it, and are happy to continue with our go-to-market strategy.
Also, SR Smith owned Sunbather prior to the acquisition, and they have a really good commercial division, we have our own commercial division, and Fluidra has their own commercial division. So there’s a lot of good synergy with the three businesses – really experienced staff, terrific products, and a lot of it locally manufactured.
So you know, we’re looking forward to working with their teams, and bringing a really good product and the staff together to work together in a more holistic manner.
Note: This video was recorded at SPLASH! 2022, prior to the establishment of the Fluidra Commercial division, which includes SR Smith and Sunbather, and is led by Jeremy Smith. For more on the creation of Fluidra Commercial and Jeremy Smith’s appointment, go to page 16.
This trade show has been great – terrific displays, great turnout.
Fast forward to the end of 2013, they acquired a company in Australia called Anti Wave and the license to sell their products. So it was a springboard into the residential and commercial market in Australia.
So that’s when the slides and the lounges and all of the residential products started coming in from the US. Most of the commercial products were manufactured in Australia.
We’ve had a constant stream of traffic on the stand. And it’s been good, because the last few years has been a journey for us, as far as building the recognition, the brand, and the product range that’s suitable for the market.
And now getting to know a lot of the people who are very committed dealers of ours from all across Australia, getting to see them and connect with them in person.
Finally, after a couple of years of Zoom calls and Teams calls, it’s really great to see some faces.
To see this and other videos, go to SPLASHTV at www.splashmagazine.com.au\videos. n
Earlier this year we published a story about Compass Europe dealers helping the families of dealers in Ukraine, following the Russian invasion. At the SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show in June we caught up with Tibor Meszaros from Compass Europe and he updated us on the situation in and around Ukraine, as well as how the war is affecting Europe as a whole. Although some things may have changed since that time, it is still an interesting insight to the situation in a troubled region.
At this time [June 2022], the situation is a little bit changing, because at the beginning, the people were accepting that the war will take probably three or four months – but it’s definitely not, it seems like the war will take a little bit longer.
The situation with the dealers is that men can still not go abroad, they have to stay in Ukraine. The families of the dealers are going abroad, and they came to different countries like Slovakia, Holland and Germany. Our dealer chains and the people in the dealer chains are trying to help them, as far we can. Some of those dealers’ families are living with us, or very close to us.
But the funny thing is the main dealer for Ukraine, he moved back because he is living very close to the border. And nowadays, he is starting to order some pools. It was curious for us, but we know the situation that the war is not moving as close to the border, because there is a danger from the countries in NATO.
And this is why the rich people are coming into these areas, and for those people it is normal to have a pool. And some of them now just thinking to have a new home with the new pool. And the last week the Ukrainian dealer placed an order for a five new pools.
Europe is now suffering a little bit about the situation with the war – economically there are bad numbers with the inflation rate – everybody is accepting that
inflation rate will be at two digits – that means 10 and more per cent.
At this time [June 2022], the average inflation rate is 11.4 for a whole of Europe. So that is definitely influencing business in the whole of the Europe, not just in swimming pools. We got different numbers than the last two years. We’ve come back to the normal years like 2019 – and we will accept a little bit less production because we don’t know how the situation will be for the autumn, because of the gas and the oil which should come from Russia.
But basically, now in the high season there are normal sales, and normal installation. All of our dealers are quite satisfied, except in Ukraine.
We set up a relationship with Compass Australia in 2004, and since that time, I came over five or six times. There were changes in Slovakia and Compass Europe – there was a change of the owners and I and my friend Franz became the owners since February this year.
Now we are coming again to set up the new era of the co-operation with Australia. I had never been to SPLASH! before and I’m very surprised, this is a very good exhibition.
It is a shame that covid closed SPLASH! for two years, but now it looks like there will be a new beginning.
For more video interviews go to www.splashmagazine.com.au/videos
Aquaguard ® X – an exciting new range of pool gelcoats, manufactured in Australia, to withstand harsh outdoor conditions
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There is a common perception that water testing is inherently a painstaking process; it’s complicated, it’s slow, there’s plenty of room for user error and you risk broken test tubes and inconsistencies.
For a long time, this was the case. In fact, there was a period in which the testing station at your local pool shop would resemble the laboratory of a mad scientist: vials and beakers and tablet crushers scattered everywhere. But over the past decade, with technological advances and the ability to integrate to remote software platforms seamlessly, water testing has undergone a revolution.
Way back in 1919, Frank LaMotte founded the LaMotte Company and introduced the first pH test kit in the United States. Some were used by health officials to analyse public swimming pools, and by 1940 its range of equipment had expanded to include tests for Free and Total Chlorine.
By 1968, the company had expanded to a catalogue of reagent systems used in different applications all over the world and, in less than a decade, were designing and selling its specialised range of photometers for use across a variety of markets including the pool industry.
As with other traditional photometers, this range of instruments used a combination of liquid and tablet reagents combined with a water sample to test a variety of parameters. And like any traditional photometer, they had two serious drawbacks.
LaMotte Pacific general manager Ben Dickinson explains.
“Firstly, they were very slow. They performed tests sequentially, one test after the other, and this took time. As queues of customers grew lengthy in the summer months, pool shops had no choice but to leave some tests out. By testing only the parameters they had time for, this made it impossible for them to manage pool water quality properly, and cost them valuable chemical sales — often on items with an extremely attractive margin.”
The second drawback was that the old photometers were prone to user error, which led to inaccuracy.
“If you didn’t clean the test tubes properly, or crush the tablets thoroughly, or wait the specified time for reagents to react, or clean the light chamber, or if you touched the tablets, then you risked an inaccurate test result,” he says.
“Consider this: for a test requiring a 10ml sample of water, if a vial is overfilled by 1ml or underfilled by 1ml, your results are already out by 10 per cent before you’ve even begun.”
Sounds painful, right? But this was the way of the industry for a long time, and it fostered a perception that water testing is inherently a slow, complicated and painstaking process with plenty of room for user error.
In 2002 LaMotte began developing a new kind of technology that would bring water testing into the 21st century. So began an attempt to segue from visual to digital methods.
“The idea was simple,” says Dickinson. “Create a laboratory-grade instrument that would automate the sequential process of tablet crushing and reagent mixing and accelerate the chemical reaction accordingly. By finding a way to test all water quality parameters at the same time (rather than sequentially), LaMotte was able to reduce the testing time from roughly 10 minutes to just 60 seconds.”
To put it into perspective, for a pool shop that does 1000 tests per month, this equates to around 150 hours of time saved on water testing.
“As expected, the execution was much more difficult. The earliest iteration of WaterLink Spin went through almost a decade of R&D before being released to the Australian market in 2012,” he says.
ABOVE:Things have come a long way since the early days of water testing in LaMotte’s Baltimore lab
He says the WaterLink Spin is now considered the gold standard of water testing technology in the industry. It uses a recyclable styrene disc (similar in size to a hockey puck) that is pre-filled with dry reagent. The water sample is then injected into the disc using a syringe, and the disc is inserted into the Spin photometer where it then (you guessed it) spins around; the centrifugal force and magnetic mixing beads activating the reagent and producing a reading of all 10 parameters within 60 seconds.
“Spin produces the most consistent results in the market,” he says. “It’s the only meter in Australia that is NSF certified for accuracy. But regardless of the method of testing being used, what is important is accuracy and consistency. It’s no good having an instrument that is 100 per cent accurate in lab conditions versus when it is being used out in the field in a time-critical setting by an operator who may or may not take the appropriate amount of care when using it.”
There are various methods of automated and semiautomated testing that seek to serve the same purpose – to remove user error from the equation.
One of the key benefits of the WaterLink Spin is that in testing all parameters simultaneously, it removes the risk of user error that plagues sequential testing methods.
“If we were to use a traditional photometer, and you ran a test, and I ran a test, and an experienced technician ran a test, we’d all get different results. It’s just the nature of traditional testing. But not so with the Spin. By taking the user out of the equation we have eliminated any concerns about accuracy,” he says.
ABOVE: In 1919 a young chemist, Frank LaMotte, decided to focus his expertise in the area of pH analysis on specific applications of chemical control. By 1930 his lab was testing boiler water, swimming pools, drinking water and more.
“This gives even the most inexperienced technician the ability to test a client’s pool with accuracy and consistency by removing the variables associated with traditional testing.”
Furthermore, integration with a variety of software platforms allows the technician to upload the tests to the customer’s profile and send them a digital copy of the test results and resulting chemical treatment.
“The testing and treatment history of that particular pool is stored in the cloud and can be accessed by any device with the login,” says Dickinson. “For example, the pool technician visiting the customer’s house can enter the results and if the customer goes into the pool shop a week later to purchase more chemicals, the salesperson behind the counter has instant access to all their history and is able to make suggestions accordingly.”
LaMotte supplies a free software called WaterLink Solutions that also integrates with several different water testing software platforms, including Bufferzone, Phlozone and Pooltrackr.
“In the past,” Dickinson says, “pool technicians had to record test results, job reports and invoices manually. Now, with all the features of these integrated software platforms, the result is a more professional look and greater efficiency.”
In terms of fully automated testing technology, there are a variety of devices that can monitor the pools remotely using pH and ORP sensors such as the BECSys5 from Tim Batt Water Solutions, used primarily in commercial applications.
In residential applications, Dickenson says full automation is still a work in progress and seems unlikely to fully replace in-person testing at least for the foreseeable future.
“While automated sensors sound ideal — you can just envisage full automation of pool care in the same way that the ring camera has taken over home CCTV! — the reality is that most sensors don’t fare well when exposed to some pool chemical treatments for hours and days on end,” says Dickinson.
“This is especially true after a major shock treatment, which tortures wet chemistry and sensors.”
He says that most of these devices only test a handful of parameters and rely on digital testing to supplement the remaining tests, supported by the software platforms mentioned above.
“Testing only the parameters they had time for made it impossible for them to manage pool water quality properly –and cost them valuable chemical sales.”
In the days before advanced technology, water testing relied on a wet lab, or test strips when things got busy. Wet labs required training and skill to get right, and the manual calculations required more skill than a junior looking after a counter could usually manage successfully.
“Once testing software and computers came on board the calculations were solved,” says Focus Products managing director Steven Humphris.
“However, stores then had to make sure computers were kept up to date; that they were powerful enough to run software and, in the process, not destroyed by the chlorine gas corroding the motherboard in the store. Service vans were out of luck as laptops weren’t cheap.”
The internet made its way to pool shops, and then the modern mobile phone changed the world again.
“Today we have a wide selection of cheap hardware – and fast internet is relatively affordable too. Being connected is normal in Australia and being online is practically 100 per cent for most Australians,” he explains.
“This is where Liqua, a native cloud-based innovation, has removed the risk of ageing computers and insecure data while delivering simply smarter managed services.
“It seems like every year there is more and more testing data to be collected from more and more sources,” he says.
“Water tests include a broader range of tests including magnesium and borates. Advances in equipment and chemicals sees water testing being more than a test strip and a guess of how much product X to use. Water testing has evolved into a connected set of managed services that maximise effectiveness of analysis and pool maintenance
while minimising the environmental impact of chemical waste/ overuse or inefficient equipment energy use.”
Focus’s Liqua provides a broad range of services through its numerous modules. The user interface makes the capture and use of data simpler, and in turn enables businesses to work smarter and more efficiently.
“Managed communication is critical to customer relationships,” he says. “Data intelligently gathered from water test measurements, product usage and service history, powers Liqua to provide automated communication to customers all while staff are busy with other work.”
Humphris says consistent water measurements is critical to pool care and that Liqua provides a simple user interface that takes complex data and pool profiles to produce easy-to-follow step-by-step water analysis — perfect for a technician or customer.
“Gathering information about an asset, its equipment and servicing minimises swimming downtime plus provides assurance to the owner and business of a pool’s history,” he explains.
“Liqua’s integrated modules have tools for both asset and equipment capture with servicing history complete with a photo log.”
As Lo-Chlor Chemicals’ national technical manager John Harding explains, today’s water testing technology is more intuitive and userfriendly, providing professionals with critical data.
“Unlike our original software, which was loaded onto a computer, LoChlor’s Water Management Software (WMS II) is now cloud-based, making it available on any computer/tablet/phone (Android and IOS) that has access to the internet,” he says.
The platform keeps detailed site information, including photos of equipment, minimising the need for unnecessary call backs.
“From standard things like pool dimensions and type of surface right down to the dogs’ names or even if there is a pipe installed for a pressure cleaner — all of this is saved in one database,” Harding explains.
“This means you can see all you need to know on one screen and not have to jump into another part of a program to see the full picture (or different filing cabinets or card files). This can be viewed in the shop, on the road or on the beach if you have to respond quickly.”
Lo-Chlor’s WMS II can also automatically receive water test data from the WAVE III Scanner instore and LaMotte’s SPIN testing device both in-field and in-store.
The database for the customer will include their pool information, volume equipment etc, which plays a big role in analysing the test results and recommended chemicals accurately to balance and or treat various water conditions.
“As pool businesses get better at managing probe-based water testing systems, and the reliability of these systems improves, the natural progression would be for these in-pool testing devices to link directly to systems like WMS II so the pool service company or pool shop can constantly manage the water quality of their
customers pool without having to physically attend the property,” he says.
“Being proactive and having the ability to see something going wrong is better than being reactive to a customer’s call saying something is not right.”
Palintest managing director Mark Davison says their new Lumiso Pooltest Expert is the next step in photometric data collection and analysis.
“Our Palintest-designed software allows simple easy results logging, automatically saving key information such
Ben Dickenson with the WaterLink Spin reagent disc
as dates, times, user, and even labels, as well as supplementary information such as real time notes and pass or fail indications,” he says. “These results are easily filtered on instrument by date, time, parameter and by pass and fail – spending time flicking through results is a thing of the past.”
Photometers can allow a pool technician to know exactly how much disinfectant is in a pool or spa – meaning they can adjust to ensure optimal levels are present to maintain bather safety and keep optimum disinfectant use.
Alongside this, photometers are the industry standard for diagnosis of water chemistry problems,” he says. “If the pool is turning green, it could likely be high that phosphates levels are causing algae growth.
Within minutes a pool technician can analyse the water, produce highly accurate results, produce a report, and provide their client with professional advice – all powered by Palintest’s photometric readings.”
Further to this, digital technology has allowed analysis of test results to be enhanced by its cloud-based results management software Palintest Connect.
“Connect allows users to upload results from various pools, spas, and instruments into one centrally held and accessible location,” he says. “Result can then be collated, analysed, and reported as the user needs – providing full auditability and compliance, easily.”
He says that Palintest photometers now use their propriety Lumiso Optical Engine to deliver highly accurate results every time.
“The Optical Engine works by emitting light from an LED source through a sample, the light that makes it through the sample is then filtered, so only a specific wavelength of light hits a detector cell. The Lumiso then calculates the percentage of transmittance (%T) that has occurred.
“To translate this %T into a ppm or mg/L concentration the Lumiso then uses the inbuilt Palintest Calibration curves to calculate the concentration of the parameter being tested. All this happens in seconds, and results in a clear ppm or mg/L reading, that the user needs,” he explains.”
LaMotte Pacific’s Dickenson says that, as a value add, the hidden benefit of their software is how helpful it is when it comes to educating the pool owner about what is required to look after their pool.
“We have a firm belief that the customer who is educated and made to understand why they need to add
certain chemicals to their pool will be much happier and spend more money than the person who is uneducated and will be annoyed with spending a fraction of what they really should be,” he says.
Pool owners and operators face three separate challenges when it comes to maintaining correct water chemistry levels.
The first is bather safety. Pool water is prone to contamination by microbes, which can affect the health of swimmers. To prevent this, water needs to be sanitised. Local jurisdictions from health departments set standards that public pools must abide by to keep bathers safe. If they fall outside these guidelines the pool can be forced to close.
WaterLink Spin’s recyclable styrene disc is similar in size to a hockey puck, pre-filled with dry reagent
Chemical suppliers help inform the public about proper ranges to maintain at their own home. This includes correct sanitiser levels and pH to prevent internal illnesses and severe irritation to the skin and eyes. Sanitisers also help prevent algae formations, which can not only cloud the water but also lead to a drowning swimmer going unnoticed.
To ensure that pool water is properly sanitised – chlorine being the most common sanitiser – the following five tests need to be regularly performed.
1. Total chlorine is a measure of how much chlorine there is in the pool water. Not all the chlorine is effective as a sanitiser. Some of it may have already combined with microbes, which is why the following checks needs to be done.
2. Free chlorine is a measure of how much of the total chlorine is effective as a sanitiser. There is an ideal range below which microbes will flourish and above which bathing could become uncomfortable.
3. pH indicates how effective the free chlorine is.
4. Cyanuric acid is a chemical that is added to outdoor pool water to prevent the sun from degrading the chlorine sanitiser.
5. Phosphate is microbial food. Ideally, there should be no phosphate in pool water. Its presence poses a risk of microbial blooms, which is what causes pool water to turn green overnight.
6. For pools that use electrolytic chlorination, it is also necessary to perform a sixth “salt test”. The second challenge faced by pool operators and owners is water balance. Too much calcium can cause equipment failure while too little can corrode the pool surface and its equipment. This problem was often overlooked in the past. With the older-style photometers, which were slow, there wasn’t always enough time to complete every test, and those that were left out were often these water balance tests.
Savings come from avoiding costly water chemistry issues that corrode or clog pipes, stain pools, or lead to expensive chemical treatments and shutdowns. Closing public pools for repairs is expensive and problematic for commercial enterprises counting on pool use by their customers. Pools that have low pH, Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness risk corrosion to metal surfaces, pumps, filters, ladders and more. When
too high, those factors can indicate the water may begin to clog pipes or leave scale deposits throughout the pool.
Metals such as copper, iron and others can stain pool surfaces or colourise the water. Phosphate and nitrate are often measured to predict potential algae issues.
“There are three essential tests for ensuring water balance: Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and pH. The results of these tests tell us nothing on their own. Instead, they are used as inputs into a formula called the Langelier Saturation Index which indicates whether the water is balanced with respect to calcium.”
The third and final problem is mineral metal deposits which cause ugly stains on the surface of the pool. There are two common tests. The first is for copper, which causes a blue-green stain and can also cause bather’s hair to discolour. And the second is for iron, which causes unsightly russet-coloured stains of the pool surface.
Trend monitoring is key to maintaining and protecting any vessel holding water. Water has a natural tendency to let go of its dissolved elements or collect more from whatever surface it touches. Water in balance has proper a pH, Alkalinity, and Hardness to avoid destructive behaviour. Keeping track of pool water data is vital for technicians to assure their clients are not caught off guard with a serious problem.
Some software apps provide trend charts and most provide treatment recommendations to alert analysts how to fix issues. A benefit of digital analysers is they remove visual guesswork and, by using rapid water analysis tools, they allow service pros to complete jobs faster and lifeguards to focus on swimmer safety. Digital data collection also is a solid way to enable an entire team of analysts, who may be testing various pools on different dates or times, from being caught off guard.
Hiring and training technicians takes valuable time, so providing recruits with a reliable device to do the job right lets everyone sleep easier at night. Devices that avoid cross-contamination are also important. Using the same test vial over and over, without very thorough rinsing, can lead to one sample affecting the next sample being tested.
LaMotte’s patented Insta-Test Strips are packaged in a patented vial made from highdensity polypropylene plastic. Unlike some brands that include a loose desiccant bag that can fall out or encounter wet hands, Insta-Test Strips feature an in-built desiccant wall liner that surrounds the enclosed strips.
The vial was originally designed to transport milk samples from dairy farms to FDA testing labs and had to be watertight.
“Of course, we wanted it waterproof — to keep moisture out. After extensive testing, we were able to confirm that the vial was in fact waterproof and had a much higher MVTR (moisture protection barrier) than any other similar vial, an attached lid, and was able to include a desiccant liner inside the vial.
The vials have been designed to conform to a US specification covering airtight containers.
Having this specification mark on their containers allows LaMotte to guarantee users of its test strips a certain level of protection against degradation. The typical rate of degradation for a test strip exposed to the atmosphere is around 10 per cent for every hour (at best), so it pays to have an airtight container.
The disc is inserted into the Spin photometer producing a reading of all 10 parameters within 60 seconds“A vial of strips with a loose desiccant pillow that can fall out or get touched by wet hands can be ruined after its first use. One key patent is for its waterproof seal, and another is for its desiccant liner. A chemist for a major chemical company once accidentally dropped our vial inside his hot tub before replacing his cover on the tub. He came back a month later, lifted the cover to find the bottle floating, opened it up and every strip was still perfectly dry.”
smartphone and receive a chemical treatment profile accordingly,” he says.
It should be noted that although test strips are an excellent tool for the home user, they have considerable limitations in accuracy — even when used in conjunction with a test strip reader or smartphone application like WaterLink Solutions. All test strip readers regardless of sophistication use reflectometry to read colour. Essentially, this method of testing measures the reflected colours of the pads rather than a photometric method that reads colour by shining a light through a water sample to measure its optical transmittance. Essentially, looking down through a water column provides more precision than viewing water on paper.
These are just a few of the many reasons that not all test strips are alike he says.
“Perhaps directly out of the packaging, you may see similar levels of accuracy, but if the vessel is not protective enough — or even worse, unable to be sealed properly — then the strips are useless once exposed to the elements.”
LaMotte’s strips are instant dip and read test strips, coated in a hydrophobic plastic that produces even colours across each reagent pad. The colours will hold for almost a minute, allowing the user to take their time in comparing colours and not worry about when to start and finish their colour matching.
“On top of that, Insta-Test strips are compatible with our WaterLink Solutions Home app, which allows the home user to take a picture of their test strip with their
“Strips measure broad colour changes, not acute ones. In terms of accuracy, they pale in comparison to a photometer and should be considered an excellent indicator (rather than a precise analysis) of water chemistry,” says Dickinson. “Although we may consider traditional photometers cumbersome and slow, they are streets ahead of any reflectometer in terms of accuracy.” n
Focus Products: www.focusproducts.com.au
LaMotte Pacific: www.lamottepacific.com
Lo-Chlor Chemicals: www.lochlor.com.au
Palintest: www.palintest.com
Tim Batt Water Solutions: www.tbwsaquatic.com.au
ABOVE: Testing the water using the Palintest system
“If a vial is overfilled by 1ml or underfilled by 1ml, your results are already out by 10 per cent before you’ve even begun.”
The SPASA Australia National Awards of Excellence were held in September, with the very best of all the state award winners in the running for the most coveted awards of all: the National Awards, including the prestigious Pool of the Year, Spa of the Year, Business of the Year, Product of the Year and Com mercial Project of the Year.
It was a spectacular sold-out evening that saw a record number of attendees celebrate at the last major event for the 2022 season. The RACV City Club in Melbourne played host for the big awards night, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. n
Pool of the Year
Gold: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Norfolk Pools, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Striking Pools, VIC
F: The Concrete Pool Company, WA
Vinyl Lined Modular Pool
Gold: Affordable Above Ground Pools, NSW
F: Classic Pools, SA
F: Clark Rubber Geelong, VIC
F: Classic Pools, WA
Concrete Pool up to $60,000
Gold: Mermaid Pool Constructions, SA
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Wisdom Pools and Landscapes, NSW
F: Palmy Pools, QLD
F: Horizon Pools, VIC
F: Imperial Pools, WA
Concrete Pool up to $120,000
Gold: Living Style Landscapes, QLD
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Splish Splash Pools, NSW
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Greenview Pools & Landscapes, TAS
F: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: Perth Concrete Pools, WA
Enclosed or Indoor Pool
Gold: Striking Pools, VIC
F: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
F: Boardwalk Pools, WA
Freeform Pool up to $60,000
Gold: Blue Haven Pools, NSW
F: Pools By Design, QLD
Fibreglass Pool up to $40,000
Gold: Barrier Reef Pools, WA
F: Coastline Pools, NSW
F: Built Right Pools, QLD
F: Riverscape Landscaping & Pools, SA
F: Ocean Breeze Pools, VIC
Second-Hand Fibreglass Pool
Gold: Palm City Pools, WA
Fibreglass Lap Pool
Gold: Shipping Container Pools, QLD
F: Outside Developments, SA
F: Evolution Pools Bendigo, VIC
F: Barrier Reef Pools, WA
Concrete Lap Pool
Gold: Aquarius Pools, VIC
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Blue Haven Pools, NSW
F: Living Style Landscapes, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Imperial Pools, WA
Vinyl Lined Lap Pool
Gold: Unique Freeform Pools, WA
Prefabricated Composite Pool up to $30,000
Gold: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
Vinyl Lined In-ground Pool
Gold: Aqualon Interiors, QLD
F: Vinyl Lined Pools Service, NSW
F: Bay Pools & Spas, WA
Freeform Pool up to $120,000
Gold: TJ Pool Plumbing, VIC
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Pools By Design, QLD
Freeform Pool over $120,000
Gold: Striking Pools, VIC
F: Malibu Pools & Spas, NSW
Concrete Pool up to $200,000
Gold: Striking Pools, VIC
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Wisdom Pools and Landscapes, NSW
F: Placid Pools, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
Gold: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Rogers Pools, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: The Concrete Pool Company, WA
Vinyl Lined Pool & Spa Combination
Gold: Unique Freeform Pools, WA
Prefabricated Composite Pool over $30,000
Gold: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD F: Distinctive Pools, NT
F: Shipping Container Pools, VIC F: Distinctive Pools, WA
Courtyard or Plunge Pool
Gold: Urban Escape, NSW
F: Capital Country Pools, ACT
F: Ezy Living Pools, QLD
F: Outside Developments, SA F: Feature Pools, VIC F: Boardwalk Pools, WA
Renovation up to $30,000
Gold: Adelaide Classic Pools, SA
F: Reflections Pool Care, WA
Concrete Pool over $200,000
Gold: Striking Pools, VIC
F: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW
F: Norfolk Pools, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
Fibreglass Pool up to $60,000
Gold: Rainwise Clearview, SA
F: Capital Country Pools, ACT
F: Coastline Pools, NSW
F: My Fibreglass Pool Easy, QLD
F: LDR Pools and Landscapes, VIC
F: Barrier Reef Pools, WA
Fibreglass Pool over $60,000
Gold: Outside Developments, SA
F: Local Pools & Spas, NSW
F: Built Right Pools, QLD
F: Bg’s Pools & Spas, VIC
F: Barrier Reef Pools, WA
Fibreglass Pool & Spa Combination
Gold: Aqua Technics, WA
F: Compass Pools Australia Sydney, NSW
F: My Fibreglass Pool Easy, QLD
F: Everclear Pool Solutions, SA
F: BG’s Pools & Spas, VIC Concrete Pool & Spa Combination
F: Ezy Living Pools, QLD F: Outdoor Society, VIC F: Add A Splash Pools, WA Renovation up to $60,000
Gold: Jagun Pools + Landscapes, QLD F: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW F: Adelaide Classic Pools, SA
F: Striking Pools, VIC F: Add A Splash Pools, WA
Renovation over $60,000
Gold: Jagun Pools + Landscapes, QLD F: Aquastone Pools and Landscapes, NSW F: Adelaide Classic Pools, SA F: Swimmore Pools, VIC
F: Reflections Pool Care, WA
Display Pool or Centre
Gold: The Pool Tile Company, QLD F: Blue Haven Pools, NSW
F: The Pool Tile Company, VIC
Pool Landscape Design
Gold: COS Design, VIC
F: Outdoor Establishments, NSW
F: Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Greenview Pools & Landscapes, TAS
Residential Water Feature
Gold: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Jade Swimming Pools, NSW
F: Norfolk Pools, QLD
F: Mermaid Pool Constructions, SA
F: Greenview Pools & Landscapes, TAS
F: LDR Pools and Landscapes, VIC
Residential Lighting Feature
Gold: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Norfolk Pools, QLD
F: Striking Pools, VIC Safety Barrier
Gold: Satori Pools, QLD
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Transform Pools and Spas, NSW
F: Striking Pools, VIC
F: JC Contemporary Fencing, WA
Gold: Malibu Pools & Spas, NSW
F: Spa World Australia, ACT
F: Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Aloha Pools, VIC
Portable Spa
Gold: Spa World Australia, QLD
F: Bestway Australia, NSW
F: Spa World Australia, TAS
F: Mega Spa, WA
Concrete In-ground Spa
Gold: Malibu Pools & Spas, NSW
F: Leader Pools, ACT
F: Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: Reflections Pool Care, WA
Swim Spa
Gold: Spa World Australia, NSW
F: Spa World Australia, ACT
F: Spa World Australia, TAS
F: Endless Pools and Spas, VIC
F: Mega Spa, WA
Fibreglass In-ground Spa
Gold: Compass Pools Australia Sydney, NSW
F: LDR Pools and Landscapes, VIC
F: Freedom Pools & Spas, WA
Commercial Project of the Year
Gold: Kirratech Lifestyle Pools, QLD
F: Capital Country Pools, ACT
F: Shipping Container Pools, NSW
F: South Pacific Pools, SA
F: Aloha Pools, VIC
Vinyl Lined Commercial Pool up to $250,000
Gold: Aqualon Interiors, QLD
Concrete Commercial Pool up to $250,000
Gold: Imperial Pools, WA
F: Satori Pools, QLD
F: Striking Pools, VIC Fibreglass Commercial Pool up to $250,000
Gold: Bg’s Pools & Spas, VIC
F: Capital Country Pools, ACT
F: Shipping Container Pools, NSW Commercial Pool up to $500,000 Gold: Hydrilla, SA
F: Geelong Pools and Spas, VIC
F: Imperial Pools, WA Commercial Pool up to $1,000,000 Gold: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: Hydrilla, SA
F: Distinctive Pools, WA Commercial Pool over $1,000,000 Gold: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: Kirratech Lifestyle Pools, QLD
F: South Pacific Pools, SA
F: Distinctive Pools, WA Commercial Spa Gold: Momentum Pools, VIC
F: Imperial Pools, WA Commercial Renovation
Gold: All Class Tiling Services, WA
F: Just Swimming Pool Renovations, QLD
F: Hydrilla, SA
F: Hydrilla, TAS
F: Liquid Blue Pools, VIC Commercial Water Display Gold: Waterforms International, NSW
F: South Pacific Pools, SA
F: Liquid Blue Pools, VIC
Commercial System
Gold: EvoHeat, NSW
F: EvoHeat, QLD F: EvoHeat, VIC F: EvoHeat, WA
Product of the Year
Gold: Fluidra Australia, NSW
F: Europe Imports, ACT F: EvoHeat, QLD F: Fluidra Australia, SA
F: AQUEA, VIC
Sustainable Product Award
Gold: Backwash Recyclers Australia, VIC F: Europe Imports, ACT F: TPEC Australia, NSW F: Pentair Water Australia, NT F: EvoHeat, QLD
F: Naked Pools, SA
F:Pentair Water Australia, TAS F: Greenstar Solutions, WA
Innovative Product Award
Gold: Bufferzone Systems, NSW
F:Focus Products, ACT F:Focus Products, NT F: Maytronics Australia, QLD
F: Waterco, SA
F: Davey Water Products, TAS
F: Fluidra Australia, VIC
F:Sapphire Pools, WA
New Product Award
Gold: Fluidra Australia, NSW
F: Aussie UnderCover, ACT
F: Waterco, NT
F: Davey Water Products, QLD
F: Fluidra Australia, SA
F: Pentair Water Australia, TAS
F: AQUEA, VIC
F: Buccaneer Pools, WA
New Pool Store
Gold: Acacia Pool Service, SA
F: Warner Pool & Spa Care, QLD
F: Crystal Water Pool n Spa, VIC
Single Location Pool Store
Gold: Poolside Melton, VIC
F: Davison Pool & Spa Service, NSW
F: Poolwerx Wavell Heights, QLD
F: Prospect Pool and Spa, SA
F: Pool Logic, WA
Multi-Location Pool Store
Gold: Poolwerx Indooroopilly, QLD
F: Poolwerx Upper North Shore, NSW
F: Poolwerx Blackwood, SA
F: Pool and Spa World, TAS
F: Poolside Heating and Leisure, VIC
F: Poolwerx Kalamunda, WA
Online Pool Store
Gold: Poolside Beaconsfield, VIC
Professional
Pool & Spa Barrier Inspector Award
Gold: Michael Leahy from Building Approvals and Advice, QLD
F: Dirk Nannes from My Pool Inspector, VIC
Retail Service Technician Award
Gold: Gemma Cleary from Poolwerx Briar Hill, VIC
F: David Blundell from Clark Rubber, QLD
F: Marc Piteo from Advanced Pools, SA
F: Karl Piteo from Advanced Pools, SA
F: Courtney Shephard from Pool Robotics Perth - Jandakot, WA
In-Field Service Technician Award
Gold: Joel Peterson from Total Pool Service, ACT
F: Danielle Wigston from Your Pool and Spa, NSW
F: Stephen Duncan from Warner Pool & Spa Care, QLD
F: Patrick Dyson from Adelaide Aquaboys, SA
F: Daniel Flett from Clark Rubber Bendigo, VIC
F: Ashley Hale from Jim’s Pool Care South Lake, WA
Construction Tradesperson Award
Gold: Terry Nicholls from Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Greg White from Hawkesbury Pools, NSW
F: Harrison Hawkins from Rainwise Clearview, SA
F: Travis Fell from Aloha Pools, VIC
Pool Designer Award
Gold: Mark Spelta from Placid Pools, QLD
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F: Nick McCarthy from Urban Escape, NSW
F: Anthony Scaffidi from Elite Pools & Landscapes, SA
F: Daniel Cutugno from Horizon Pools, VIC
Operational Excellence Award
Gold: Sandra Lothian from Aussie UnderCover, ACT
F: Margaret White from Hawkesbury Pools, NSW
F: Miche Barton from Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Nicol Mumford from Everclear Pool Solutions, SA
F: Catherine Goncalves from Horizon Pools, VIC Pool Sales Representative Award
Gold: Max Hubble from Countrywide Pools, WA
F: Greg White from Hawkesbury Pools, NSW
F: Geoffrey Smith from Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
F: Mick Dean from Everclear Pool Solutions, SA
F: Rachel Williams from Endless Pools and Spas, VIC Spa Sales Representative Award
Gold: Lillian Sifri from Spa World Australia, NSW
F: Duncan Mitchell from Spa World Australia, QLD
F: Trent Williams from Spa World Australia, VIC
F: Aleeshia Bartolone from Mega Spa, WA
Supplier Salesperson Award
Gold: Tony Ford from Pentair Water Australia, QLD
F: Sandra Lothian from Aussie UnderCover, ACT
F: Tony Scarfone from Stone & Ceramic Tile Wholesalers, NSW
F: Dana Whitbread from Fluidra Australia, SA
F: Steve Schell from Fluidra Australia, WA
F: Darren Kane from Waterco, VIC Rising Star Award
Gold: Kate Kowald from Adelaide Classic Pools, SA
Spa of the Year, Malibu Pools & Spas
F: Nick Whyte from Spa World Australia, ACT
F: Danielle Wigston from Your Pool and Spa, NSW
F: Jaz Stokes from Total Concept Pools, QLD
F: Matthew Wyper from Poolwerx Mill Park, VIC
F: Tiffani Swanepoel from Spa World, WA
Professional of the Year
Gold: Miche Barton from Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Sandra Lothian from Aussie UnderCover, ACT
F: Nick McCarthy from Urban Escape, NSW
F: Patrick Dyson from Adelaide Aquaboys, SA
F: Catherine Goncalves from Horizon Pools, VIC
Marketing Campaign Award
Gold: Poolwerx, QLD
F: Clark Rubber Franchising, ACT
F: Spa World Australia, NSW
F: Boss Solar, SA
F: Clark Rubber Franchising, TAS
F: Maytronics Australia, VIC
F: Kreepy Krauly, WA
Education & Training Excellence Award
Gold: Spa World Australia, VIC
F: Clark Rubber Franchising, ACT
F: Fluidra Australia, NSW
F: Waterco, NT
F: Fluidra Australia, QLD
F: Waterco, SA
F: Clark Rubber Franchising, TAS
F: Waterco, WA
Innovative Project
Gold: Waterforms International, NSW
F: TPEC Australia, ACT
F: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
F: TPEC Australia, SA
F: TPEC Australia, VIC
F: Imperial Pools, WA
Sustainable Project
Gold: LDR Pools and Landscapes, VIC
F: EvoHeat, NSW
F: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
F: Greenstar Solutions, WA
Community Project
Gold: Queensland Family Pools & Spas, QLD
F: Hydrilla, SA
F: Countrywide Pools, WA
Business of the Year
Gold: Aloha Pools, VIC
F: Europe Imports, ACT
F: Coastline Pools, NSW
F: Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, QLD
F: Riverscape Landscaping & Pools, SA
Best Spa Retailer
Gold: Spa World Australia, SA
F: Spa World Australia, ACT
F: Spa World Australia, NSW
F: Spa World Australia, QLD
F: Spa World Australia, TAS
F: Just Spas Hallam, VIC
F: Mega Spa, WA
Best Mobile Service Business
Gold: Your Pool and Spa, NSW
F: Total Pool Service, ACT
F: Halogen Pools, QLD
F: Jim’s Pool Care Glenelg, SA
F: Aloha Plus, VIC
F: Wanneroo Pool Services, WA
Best Pool Store
Gold: Warner Pool & Spa Care, QLD
F: Poolwerx Upper North Shore, NSW
F: Acacia Pool Service, SA
F: Poolside Melton, VIC
Best Professional Service Business
Gold: Newport Consulting Engineers, QLD
sales@bosssolar.com.au
www.bosssolar.com.au
The SPASA New Zealand Awards of Excellence were held in August at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland.
It was a record-breaking year of award nominations in New Zealand for the 2022 season, with more than 50 categories covering off all areas and allowing all corners of the industry to showcase their talents. n
The New Zealand winners
Pool of the Year
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction Spa of the Year
Gold: Spa World New Zealand Commercial Project of the Year
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction Product of the Year
Gold: Halo by Fluidra New Zealand Professional of the Year
Gold: Kobus Olivier from Ultimate Pools Business of the Year
Gold: Spa World New Zealand Best Pool Store
Gold: Aquanort Pools
Acknowledgement of Industry Service
Mike Rippon, Austral Pool & Spa Products
Jonathan Poole (JP), Austral Pool & Spa Products
Greg Norton, Aquanort Pools
Daniel Lacy, Ultimate Pools
Concrete Pool up to $60,000
Gold: Mobius Pools
Concrete Pool up to $120,000
Gold: Auckland Inground Pools
H/C: Alfresco Pools
Concrete Pool up to $200,000
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction
H/C: Auckland Inground Pools
H/C: Mobius Pools
Concrete Pool over $200,000
Gold: Auckland Inground Pools
Commercial Spa
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction
Commercial Pool up to $500,000
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction
Swim Spa
Gold: Spa World New Zealand
Portable Spa
Gold: Spa World New Zealand
Sustainable Project
Gold: Ultimate Pools
Innovative Product Award
Gold: Fluidra New Zealand
H/C: Davey Water Products
H/C: Waterco
Sustainable Product Award
Gold: Telescopic range by South Pacific Pool Enclosures
New Product Award
Gold: Halo by Fluidra New Zealand
H/C: Davey Water Products
H/C: Waterco
Marketing Campaign Award
Gold: Spa World New Zealand
H/C: Compass Pools New Zealand
Education & Training Excellence Award
Gold: Spa World New Zealand
H/C: Fluidra New Zealand
H/C: Waterco
Renovation up to $60,000
Gold: Auckland Inground Pools
Renovation over $60,000
Gold: Mobius Pools
Courtyard or Plunge Pool
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction
H/C: Plateau Pools
H/C: Ultimate Pools
Freeform Pool up to $120,000
Gold: Alfresco Pools
Prefabricated Composite Pool over $30,000
Gold: AquaStyle Pools
H/C: Narellan Pools Nelson
H/C: Ultimate Pools
Fibreglass Pool & Spa Combination
Gold: Ultimate Pools
H/C: AquaStyle Pools
H/C: NZ Pools
Fibreglass Pool up to $60,000
Gold: Leisure Pools Auckland North
H/C: Leisure Pools Auckland North
Fibreglass Pool over $60,000
Gold: Ultimate Pools
H/C: Narellan Pools Gisborne
H/C: Pools for Canterbury
Concrete Pool & Spa Combination
Gold: Acacia Landscapes & Pool Construction
H/C: Alfresco Pools
H/C: Mobius Pools
Fibreglass Lap Pool
Gold: Ultimate Pools
Concrete Lap Pool
Gold: Mobius Pools
H/C: Alfresco Pools
Single Location Pool Store
Gold: Aquanort Pools
H/C: Poolside Christchurch
H/C: Poolside North Shore
Online Pool Store
Gold: Poolside Christchurch
Pool & Spa Barrier Inspector Award
Gold: Rainbow Morris from Ultimate Pools
Rising Star Award
Gold: Kimberly Nola from Austral Pool & Spa Products
H/C: Jonelle Baxter from Central Pools
H/C: Kyle Ah Sam from Ultimate Pools & Poolside North Shore
Pool Sales Representative Award
Gold: Jonelle Baxter from Central Pools
H/C: Jeremy Greco from Ultimate Pools Spa Sales Representative Award
Gold: Michael O’Loan from Spa World New Zealand
Construction Tradesperson Award
Gold: Kobus Olivier from Ultimate Pools
Supplier Salesperson Award
Gold: Tepa Tuiluluu from Waterco
H/C: Andrew Parkinson from Austral Pool & Spa Products
H/C: Jade Pearce from Fluidra New Zealand
Operational Excellence Award
Gold: Chelsea Perkins from Ultimate Pools
Pool Designer Award
Gold: Dev Morris from Ultimate Pools
In-Field Service Technician Award
Gold: Alastair Wood from
Poolside Christchurch
Concrete Pool over $200,000, Auckland Inground Pools Ltd
H/C: Trevor Bloomfield from Poolside North Shore
H/C: Mark Bennett from Poolwerx Christchurch
Retail Service Technician Award
Gold: Lee Houghton from Poolside Christchurch
H/C: Alice Messina from Ultimate Pools & Poolside North Shore
Best Supplier
Gold: Austral Pool & Spa Products
H/C: Dolphin Pacific
H/C: Fluidra New Zealand
Best Mobile Service Business
Gold: Poolside Christchurch
H/C: Poolwerx Bay of Plenty
Best Spa Retailer
Gold: Spa World New Zealand
Best Prefabricated Composite Pool Builder
Gold: Ultimate Pools
Best Fibreglass Pool Builder
Gold: Ultimate Pools
Best Concrete Pool Builder
Gold: Auckland Inground Pools
H/C: Alfresco Pools
In brief 66
Water Safety Council launches new community website 66
New, better swim teaching pathway 67
ASSA and Swimming Australia form partnership 67
Giant 2 4km pool focus of new Thai resort 68
Waterpark living themes immerse, engage and excite guests 70
The redevelopment of the Kew Recreation Centre has suffered a serious setback as the roof collapsed at about 10pm on Thursday night, October 20.
Residents were woken in the middle of Thursday night by what sounded like a large explosion, with some describing it as like an earthquake.
Fortunately it appears no-one was injured at the site. However, if the collapse had have occurred during the day it could have been tragic. Dozens of construction workers turned up on Friday morning unable to enter the site. These workers would have been in serious danger had the collapse happened during the working day.
Police attended during the night, as did Fire + Rescue. The CFMEU reportedly cordoned off the area and kept it secure while waiting for WorkSafe Victoria to arrive in the morning. Investigations are now being conducted by lead contractor ADCO and WorkSafe.
The City of Boroondara said in a social post that no-one was hurt and there was no impact on neighbouring properties. Damage was contained to the construction site and early investigations suggest other areas of the facility under construction weren’t damaged.
However, the considerable amount of steel in the roof structure will presumably be unusable.
Further details will be provided once the cause is known following the WorkSafe investigation with ADCO.
The main superstructure began to be erected in August 2021, with an anticipated delivery date of mid-2023.
Covid had already reportedly affected the timeline, and there were also reports of issues with steel supply.
A council spokesman said:
“The Kew Recreation Centre construction site is currently under investigation by WorkSafe with the builder, ADCO. Further details will be provided once the cause is known. As the site is under the control of ADCO, any impacts to timelines will be a matter for them to advise. The project was due for completion in mid-2023.”
The previous outdated and rundown centre was being replaced by the new $65.5m project to provide a modern facility and meet the future needs for the catchment.
The new centre will have a dedicated learnto-swim pool, a secluded warm water pool for gentle exercise and rehabilitation, an aqua play area, onsite childcare with an outdoor play area, bigger change rooms, two indoor sports courts, allied health suites, health and fitness areas, a landscaped forecourt and café, increased parking and a party room.
A great deal of steel will presumably have to be scrappedImage by Derek Harbison
The NSW Ministry of Health recently circulated proposed changes within the draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) and the draft Public Health Regulation 2022.
Proposed changes that relate to the swimming pool and spa industry include the following:
• Specific water playparks and other recreational aquatic structures to cease being captured under the existing swimming pool and spa definition;
• Proposed removal of ORP systems for all public swimming pools and spas.
SPASA Australia chief policy officer Spiros Dassakis says they have carefully reviewed the RIS and after industry consultation raised significant concerns with the proposed amendments which they don’t support.
Dassakis says that despite the purpose/rationale of the proposed amendment provided in the RIS, there is no justified rationale as to why water play and splash parks are unable to comply with Section 34 of the Act, and as such SPASA Australia does not support the proposed new clause which seeks to redefine a public swimming pool or spa pool to exclude water play and splash parks.
Similarly, SPASA Australia does not support the proposed removal of ORP systems from the existing regulation. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) has been an accepted sanitation control measure for swimming pools and spas both here in Australia and globally for many decades.
All references and requirements related to ORP systems would be removed from the regulation. This change would effectively remove ORP systems as an accepted alternate method for monitoring and controlling water quality in public swimming pools and spa pools.
You can download the SPASA Australia submission at www. splashmagazine.com.au/quicklinks144
A new interactive website will link community water safety efforts across the country to highlight the efforts of communities large and small.
The Australian Water Safety Council designed the website watersafety. com.au to connect community groups that promote water safety initiatives.
Convenor of the Australian Water Safety Council and chief executive officer of Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, Justin Scarr, says the website recognises that targeted, local community action is an important element in preventing drowning.
“The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 promotes local approaches to water safety and drowning prevention. This means policies, programs, services and campaigns tailored to local conditions and in partnership with community groups, councils and local businesses,” he says.
“All drowning is local. We recognise that the biggest impacts are born by families, rescuers and those living where the incident happens. So, we are encouraging local groups to commit to the Australian
Water Safety Strategy 2030, to feature what they are doing to make a difference or to promote water safety. The website is a chance to highlight and encourage meaningful partnerships at all levels.”
One example of a community-driven learn-to-swim program is the Bambigi Indigenous swimming program, founded by Gulidjan school girl Piper Stewart. At just 12 years old, she recognised many of her Indigenous peers hadn’t learned to swim because of financial barriers. More than 300 children from the region around Griffith in NSW have now benefited from the program.
The new website will encourage organisations to share knowledge and expertise through the promotion of organisation actions, including project overviews, goals, key steps and impacts to date.
Any organisation providing water safety lessons is invited to upload information about their work to the website free of charge. Organisations and individuals are guided through a few simple questions to upload their activities. Photographs can be included.
Contact: www.watersafety.com.au/
Five legends of the pool have become the first to be celebrated as part of the new Swimming Australia Hall of Fame. Fred Lane (Dolphin #1), Fanny Durack (Dolphin #9), Dawn Fraser (Dolphin #86), Shane Gould (Dolphin #214) and Ian Thorpe (Dolphin #494) comprise the first class of inductees, with the group both spanning and highlighting some of the most significant generations of Australian swimming, chosen from the 1163 athletes to have worn the Gold Cap across the Dolphins history. Andrew Leslie has resigned as Recreation Aotearoa CEO after 11 years in the role to take up the position of CEO at Nuku Ora (formerly Sport Wellington). Recreation Aotearoa chair, Michele Frey, says the resignation comes with mixed emotions. “This is absolutely fantastic for him and for the industry; we wish him all the best with this new opportunity. After 11 years at the helm of Recreation Aotearoa, it’s safe to say that Andrew has left a huge legacy and big boots to fill.”
Recreation Aotearoa hosted New Zealand’s premier aquatics conference in August, in Palmerston North. More than 200 delegates attended and had the chance to hear from and workshop with professionals from across the industry. The
program featured industry experts such Gary Johnson from Royal Life Saving Society of Australia, Water Safety New Zealand, and Dr Chanel Phillips who spoke about the M ā ori water safety model. There was also a central theme of discussion around recruitment and retention, accessibility, and creating safe and sustainable place. The 2022 event also marked 60 years of New Zealand’s national aquatics conference.
The jury in the trial of former Sydney swimming coach Kyle Daniels has been discharged after acquitting him of 10 sexual abuse charges, but remaining divided on five counts of indecent assault and six of sexual touching, with no prospect of resolution. 24-year-old Daniels pleaded not guilty to the 21 charges in the NSW District Court after being accused of inappropriate sexual contact with nine young female students while working as a part-time swim instructor at a Mosman swim centre in 2018 and 2019. The judge said ordinarily there would be a retrial, but this was a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court heard evidence from the young complainants, which Daniels’ lawyers argued had been influenced or contaminated. Daniels consistently denied knowingly or deliberately touching any student inappropriately.
Anew, streamlined approach to swim teacher accreditation is opening the doors for more teachers to hit the water in time for summer.
The Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA) has introduced an Australian-first teaching pathway which allows ASSA member swim schools to conduct their own Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Course integrated into their training processes.
ASSA, through its partnership with SPASA’s Institute of Research and Learning, will deliver nationally recognised and accredited units of competencies which constitute the Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety qualification (SISSS00112). Under ASSA’s Academy pathway, the qualification will be branded as the Australian Swim Schools Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety.
The progressive on-the-job training principles have been introduced to help streamline the accreditation process for both employers and prospective teachers, by allowing organisations to internally attract, train and retain their teaching staff.
Typically, candidates applying for a teaching position are required to obtain the Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Qualification from an external provider before returning to their swim school of employment.
The pathway helps reduce the barrier for teachers getting into the industry, allowing candidates to learn directly from their place of employment from day one, all while ticking off the key units of competencies required to become a qualified swim teacher.
The fresh approach to the teacher accreditation process was developed in response to a request from the industry to enhance acquisition and retention of swim teachers. Following extensive industry consultation with member swim schools, ASSA officially launched its teaching pathway during its national conference earlier this year.
Family-owned swim school Rackley Swimming was one of the preliminary schools selected to pilot the program, praising the initiative for its progressive approach to supporting more swim teachers to enter the industry.
“This is a game changer for us,” says Nicky Sloan, chief people officer of Rackley Swimming.
“We now have the ability to upskill teachers in-house with the necessary qualification to become a swimming teacher – with a Rackley flavour to the training. Having the ability to entwine our programs’ philosophies and curriculum to the core competencies is really amazing.
“It gives businesses flexibility to run courses at their own pools, whenever the demand for courses is warranted, at a cost effective price for the teachers – reducing the financial barrier of entry into the industry,” says Sloan.
ASSA general manager Emily McNeill says the barrier to entry for new teachers was a driving force behind the development of ASSA’s inhouse teaching pathway.
“We are essentially making it easier than ever before for ASSA member swim schools to attract, train and retain their own staff internally.
“The ASSA Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Qualification has the added bonus of being able to work closely with the candidate to ensure they’re supported and prepared throughout their teaching journey,” she says.
“We are delighted to be creating more opportunities for people to receive their swim teacher qualifications ahead of summer and we see this as a major win for the industry.”
It is hoped that the dynamic approach to swimming education will help alleviate the shortage of qualified swim instructors. There is an estimated shortage of almost 2000 swimming instructors across the country, with NSW and Victoria the hardest hit post-covid. n
Contact: www.australianswimschools.org.au/assa-academy
Meanwhile, ASSA has formed a partnership with Swimming Australia to establish strategies to connect the services, capa bilities and networks of both organisations, integrating the full swimming pathway in the process.
Swimming Australia CEO, Eugénie Buckley, believes the collab oration between both organisations will further strengthen the sport at all levels.
“We are a swimming nation with one in five Australians engag ing in some form of swimming activity around the country, and that journey all starts in our swim schools,” she says.
“Working with ASSA will enable us both to continue to foster that positive relationship with our sport, from your very first swimming lesson, to grassroots community swimming and through to the elite level.
“As one of the most influential swimming communities around the world, this new partnership will also leverage the strength of both organisations to continue to provide advocacy for the aquatics industry, both domestically and internationally.”
Emily McNeill says that as part of their broader strategy, they are striving for continuous improvement across the sport and the aquatics industry, and it is partnerships of this nature that will lead this change.
“This partnership with Swimming Australia allows us to strengthen the advocacy for the life-long health, safety, fun and fitness benefits of swimming, while also enhancing the professional development pathways and opportunities for our members,” she says.
It is now easier to attract, train and retain their own staff internally – meaning more teachers, and more kids learning to swim
The Khao Lak Resort & Spa in Thailand is home to many luxury features, but without a doubt the central focus of this amazing project is South East Asia’s longest swimming waterway.
Nestled an hour’s drive north of Phuket International Airport on a pristine beach in Khao Lak, the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa has gained a strong reputation as a luxurious hideaway. This elegant resort has just had a spectacular extension adding 76 deluxe lagoon pool view rooms, 28 deluxe lagoon pool access rooms, 20 family pool access studios, two one-bedroom villas and a two-bedroom villa.
Now, 178 rooms have direct access to a private pool or the resort’s sparkling lagoon pool waterway. The fully tiled 2400-metre long pool weaves its serpentine
way around the resort, passing by rooms and villas, and reaching beneath bridges and through gardens, pausing at a luxurious swim up bar with an ocean view before continuing gracefully through the resort to lap gently against the terraces of the ground floor rooms.
Additionally an aquatic playground has been built with exhilarating water slides, a wave pool and a fountain trampoline, making the resort a haven of adventure for all ages.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa will soon be complemented by a sister property, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites – an exclusive collection of 52 two-bedroom suites, which will add another element of spacious and flexible accommodation to this everevolving destination. n
Contact: www.jwmarriottkhaolak.com
ABOVE: A swim first thing in the morning
RIGHT: Located right by the beach, the resort also includes an aquatic playground
The Khao Lak Resort & Spa pool is the longest in South East Asia
Today’s multi-generational fam ilies are demanding more from their holiday experience – and in this increasingly competitive market, guests are expecting more bang for their buck.
In response, the industry is continuously innovating to provide better consumer experiences and prolong customer engagement.
“Research has shown that children and teens have a great deal of influence when it comes to selecting family holiday destinations,” says Oz Ikiz from Swimplex Aquatics, Australian waterplay equipment manufacturer and Australasian agents for Polin Waterparks.
“If facilities lack the creative water amenities to attract this important demographic, properties may be falling short of the expectations of one of today’s key clientele,” he says.
The inclusion of waterpark play equipment and slides can elevate a standard aquatic centre – especially in regional areas – and have a resultant increase in customer traffic.
“Water environments are all about creating a fun and memorable experience for guests,” says Ikiz.
“Creating fresh attractions will keep customers coming back. Whatever the specific goals, the initial conversation should never be about what size or shape the pool is or how fast the slide will go, but rather start with a business plan that defines the experience you are trying to create for the guests you want to attract.”
From concept to completion, Ikiz believes a successful waterpark is all about guest experience, operations, branding and the right mix of attractions.
“It is, after all, a substantial undertaking and investment to any property,” he says. “It takes significant planning and a comprehensive understanding of everything your property is – and wants to be. If you want to achieve the most successful revenue-producing project, then all the key elements from landscaping, architecture, aquatic design and attractions should be considered from the outset.”
With cost, construction schedules and seasonal timing always at the forefront, it is important to work with an experienced partner that has the expertise to tie all these elements together from the very beginning to maximise efficiencies in development time.
“This includes incorporating guest experience, branding, operations and future expansion possibilities into every development plan,” Ikiz says. “The whole process takes a minimum of six months.”
Studies show that children learn and engage best when allowed to actively explore in an environment that is fun and that appeals to their natural curiosity and desire to learn.
Ikiz says one waterpark “must have” is a splash pad for waterplay. Having little or no standing water, it typically features ground nozzles that spray water upwards out of the splash pad’s rain deck.
“There may also be other water features such as a rainbow (semicircular pipe shower), or mushroom- or tree-shaped showers. Some splash pads feature movable nozzles like those found on fire trucks to allow users to spray others. The showers and ground nozzles are often controlled by a hand activated-motion sensor, to run for limited time.”
Swimplex’s 13-metre high play
You can’t get more immersive than being in a virtually enhanced fantasy world while experiencing a thrilling waterslide
BELOW: Polin developed the first see-through slide tubes so the rider can get a fuller experience
structure includes a total of seven slides — three from 9.9 metres and the other four from three metres and below. These appeal to teenagers and younger children.
“The structure allows for the operator to use their discretion in slow times to close the nine-metre slides, which reduces the required supervision staff from two to zero,” Ikiz explains.
“Even with the nine metre slides closed, kids can still climb up and play with different water guns, buckets and toys.”
As designers of waterparks, waterslides, attractions and experiences, the people at Polin Waterparks believes storytelling is an intrinsic part of creating a compelling waterpark experience.
“We’re taking people from their day-to-day reality into a dream place where they can forget about their worries, build connections with their families, go back to their childhoods, and be part of a story,” explains Polin Waterparks communication and marketing director, Sohret Pakis.
“We believe the next step isn’t only building these stories but also ensuring our guests be a part of these stories.”
Pakis describes this concept as “story living”, which integrates technologies such as augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, and will change the future definition of a waterpark.
One such ride that fully immerses the guest in the experience is the Atlantis ride at Land of Legends waterpark in Antalya, Turkey. Incorporating SplashVR technology, guests experience a trip through the lost city of Atlantis on the first ever waterslide to incorporate virtual reality simulation into the journey.
Waterslide riders experience a unique and wholly different excitement, entering diverse, one-of-a-kind worlds as they shoot through a slide’s bends and curves. The new twist is based on a collaboration between Polin Waterparks and French company Polymorph Software.
The two firms’ R&D departments partnered to create an innovative first for the waterpark industry with the development of the SplashVR technology, deploying a virtual reality experience for waterpark guests without impacting the structure of existing waterslides.
Polin Waterparks has a 35,000-square-metre state-of-the-art factory outside Istanbul, specially designed for waterslide production.
It is globally recognised as a pioneer in the field of innovative advancement and application of close-moulded manufacturing technology in waterslide development. A core component of the company’s R&D strategy is its concentration on financial, customer and process perspectives with particular emphasis on learning, dissemination, and innovation.
Polin proved its dedication to these aspects of R&D when the company pioneered the advancement and application of light resin transfer moulding (LRTM) in waterslide manufacturing.
Since then, Polin has regularly introduced new innovations, including the development of special lighting effects; patterned and transparent composites; sound-integrated components; and unique slide designs.
With nearly 50 years’ experience in 109 countries around the globe, it’s safe to say Polin has amassed a wealth of knowledge when it comes to pioneering technologies and trailblazing designs. Here are the key elements aquatic specialists apply to each project.
Customer oriented, cost efficient, high capacity, safe solutions: four key pillars that are intrinsic to the design process.
This includes considering the objectives of park managers, developers, investors, and guests to increase the length of stay and ensure repeat visits. Project budget and development goals are also considered crucial in the design analysis and planning stages. Other
ABOVE: The LRTM process also enabled coloured, patterned and themed exteriors of slides which helps integrate them into the park while also attracting passers-by
TOP RIGHT: The adaptable Swimplex Splash Pad can have sections closed off at different times to reduce staffing requirements
key factors to consider are location, topography, climate, culture, capacity, environment, and location visibility.
As Pakis outlines above, creating a compelling story is not only key to creating memorable customer experiences but also provides a unique selling point in the highly developed, capital-intensive, user-oriented global waterpark market.
Whether it is a fantastical motif such as Disney cartoon characters or a historical homage to the surrounding community, themed waterparks give facilities an extra edge in what is an increasingly competitive, multi-billiondollar market.
Waterparks are complex construction sites with kilometres of piping and underground tanks. So, from the development of site plans and structural support systems to ride designs and hydraulic designs, waterpark engineers provide crucial insights and expertise.
Aquatic engineering calculations span everything from slide velocities and pump flow rates to filtration equipment and safety standards.
Numerous considerations are made to create a thrilling ride experience, such as surrounding viewpoints, queue experiences, load/unload areas and site challenges.
Highly trained engineers perform various functions, from designing the path of play to determining the exact curvature of a water slide and the intensity of the drop. It’s the power of engineering that forms the backbone of safe and sound guest experiences.
Water parks are considered the most complicated of the constructed water entertainment industry.
Longevity and safety of the complex directly depends on the quality of construction and installation works,
commissioning, competence in selecting equipment, subcontracting organisations, and controlling the process.
To maximise a waterpark’s safety and longevity, a range of technical tune-ups must be conducted – and continued throughout its lifespan – such as service and maintenance packets for preventative actions, waterslide repair, material supply, replacement of parts and slide resurfacing.
Additional services may also include the following:
• Daily operation and maintenance of slides and attraction components, such as mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic devices.
• Sanitation of attractions and pool water according to local standards, including up-to-date recordkeeping and reporting.
• Planning and implementation of preventive maintenance, including recordkeeping according to a facility’s preventive maintenance manual and checklists.
• Planning and completion of annual shutdowns and opening.
• Maintenance and repair of a variety of tools and equipment.
• Overseeing inventory of waterpark supplies.
From concept to completion, reputable waterpark manufacturers and suppliers enforce strict quality control standards. This includes only using the highest quality raw materials and equipping manufacturing plants with the most advanced equipment and procedures.
For leading global waterpark manufacturer, WhiteWater, a beautiful drawing is only half the story when it comes to creating a successful waterpark.
Behind every brush stroke, their designers meticulously take into consideration a ride’s location and the placement of the retail, food and beverage outlets to maximise revenue while minimising congestion.
Moving from creative vision to the customer experience, senior engineer of business development Hamza Saber has become a master at weaving water slides around existing structures and through tight footprints with his background in civil engineering.
“Parks need to have a mixture of rides that will cater towards different kinds of people. I usually try to include a little bit of everything in my designs to make sure that the whole family can spend the entire day at the park,” he says.
“This usually includes something calmer for people who don’t like fast attractions, some family rides they can experience together, and then impressive thrill slides. Competition rides are also getting very
popular in Europe, so if the design allows for it, I may also add a racing slide like the Parallel Pursuit or Whizzard.”
The other important aspect of a successful design is providing an inviting space outside of all the rides, especially if it’s an indoor water park.
“At some point in the day, guests are going to need to take a break to eat something or catch their breath. If the water park doesn’t have space for them to relax, then people won’t stay,” says Hamza.
“It is important for designers to consider open space and vegetation during the design phase to create a more welcoming environment and prevent people from leaving.”
WhiteWater West Australia managing director James Corbett says that one slide they recently installed at Wet & Wild on the Gold Coast provides two thrilling ride experiences in one.
“The Master Blaster water slide leads the industry in efficiency, longevity, and technology. Our water coaster uses advanced water jets and control systems to not only streamline operations but also to improve its safety,” he says.
With its 30-plus configuration options, limitless fiberglass colour choices, and available fusion features, it has established itself as an iconic water slide both in terms of ride experience and curb appeal.
“The image of your guests as they crest that first big hill will become one of your most shared photos on social media!” says Corbett.
WhiteWater was honoured with four Leading Edge Awards at this year’s World Waterpark Association Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, for its achievements in the
Polin’s multi-awardwinning King Cobra was the first to use new resin transfer moulding techniques to turn a ride into a themed experience This one is in Antalya
TOP: Interior theming has developed considerably too This one is at Camping Le Soleil de La Mediterrannee, Saint Cyprien, France
Image: Polin
ABOVE MIDDLE: The multimillion dollar Andamanda Phuket project
BOTTOM: Demonstrating the virtual reality and enhanced reality effect at a trade expo
Image: Polin
following extraordinary projects:
• Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong, China.
• Aqua Nick at Nickelodeon™ Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, Mexico.
• Wild Rivers, USA.
• Baha Bay at Baha Mar, The Bahamas.
“With a team spanning across design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation, WhiteWater is renowned for its expertise in creating icons that no other company can,” says president, Paul Chutter. “As our company heads into 2023, we look forward to continuing work with our partners to build attractions that will not only help generate a higher gate and ROI, but also put their parks on the map as global tourist destinations.”
At IAAPA Expo Europe 2022, WhiteWater announced a slew of new approaches to water conservation, such as working with 3D simulations in the design phase to prevent water loss.
At Aqualand Moravia in Czechia, WhiteWater is building and installing an AquaForms 300 and AquaSplash toys. The aquatic play structure balances both style and substance, providing more available play space while minimizing its footprint. The patented water delivery structural system was engineered to easily adjust to variations in pool floor and require less water. Constructed with corrosive-resistant materials to lead the industry in longevity, AquaForms also includes multiple foot and hand activators so certain features will only turn on when a child presses one of the nine buttons. These cause-and-effect interactives not only make for a more engaging play experience but help the park to use less water as features are not always running.
In a similar fashion, WhiteWater’s Water Rides Team is also looking to help “dry” attractions increase the life of their equipment while maximising their operations to their fullest potential. One way the team has done this is through boat refurbishment, giving older water rides a new lease on life. Upgrading both the look and functionality, the newly equipped boats boast innovative features, such as hydraulic lap bars to improve guest comfort and removable floorboards for easy access for maintenance.
“Water rides are a classic staple at theme parks, with nearly every park around the world operating at least one,” says Domingo Vergoossen, global business vice president of water ride development.
“Besides supplying new rides, it is our goal at WhiteWater to help theme parks make these rides last for decades to come and enhance them with the latest technology or upgrade them with new exciting features.”
A brand-new multi-million-dollar waterpark and leisure complex that promises to immerse international travellers in a world of mythology and legend has opened in Thailand.
Andamanda Phuket, which is located between the main tourism hubs of Phuket Town and Patong Beach, marks the latest venture by the Proud Group, one of Thailand’s leading developers of high-end real estate, hospitality, retail and leisure projects.
Covering 9.3 hectares, Phuket’s largest leisure and entertainment facility features a Thai heritage-themed waterpark with five separate zones (Coral World, The
After the success of the King Cobra theming, Polin expanded the concept to other characters and custom-made themes This ride is at Cartoon Network, Pattaya, Thailand
Pearl Palace, Emerald Forest, Great Andaman Bay and Naga Jungle) and two dining areas (The Village and Tropical Beach) plus extensive entertainment spaces and retail outlets. It also boasts a collection of thrilling slides and rides designed by WhiteWater West.
Guests can float down a 550-metre-long lazy river — the longest in Asia — and splash in a vast 10,000 square metre wave pool that generates waves up to three metres high – the highest of any pool in Thailand. Andamanda offers cosy cabanas and VIP pavilions throughout the park, tropical beachfront restaurant, and a series of stunning swim-up bars, including one nestled in a nearlife-size replica of Koh Tapu, Thailand’s famous James Bond Island, allowing visitors to relax in style.
Award-winning architectural firm Contour and the landscape experts at Coopers Hill also collaborated on the
LEFT: The Jake Jump waterslide at Cartoon Network is another exciting ride with standout theming Image: Polin
RIGHT: The see-through sides provide a special effect at night Image: Polin
project, while aquatic safety specialists Ellis & Associates certified lifeguards and staff.
“Together, these professional partners have helped to create a destination with sustainability at its core,” says Proud Group executive director, Proud Liptapanlop. Andamanda will adopt a circular approach to water management, with a continuous loop of water being reused and recycled. Single-use plastics are prohibited, over 100,000 trees have been planted and solar energy used to power the complex. Staffed by a team of fully trained local professionals, including 200 qualified lifeguards, the park will drive employment and empower communities in Phuket.
“This landmark project is set to become an iconic attraction; a world-class waterpark as impressive as any on the planet, but which also highlights the rich cultural
Sohret Pakis has won the 2022 Executive Board Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the water park industry from the World Waterpark Association (WWA).
The Executive Board Award was officially presented in October during the WWA Show at the Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas, USA.
The award is presented annually for special accomplishment in the water leisure industry that has contributed to industry knowledge and expertise.
She is the first person from Europe to receive the award, and only the second from outside the United States.
Pakis started her professional career as a human resources generalist for the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company’s HR Department, and after six months with Pfizer, she was promoted to assistant human resources manager.
She left Pfizer to join Polin Waterparks and where she assisted the business’s reorganisation and ability to reach prospective export markets.
In supporting this transition, she was part of the team that took the first initiatives toward structuring the human resources, sales and marketing departments, both in-house and abroad, managing three crucial departments.
For 20 years, she has worked in the attractions industry and has developed a passion for it.
She turned her focus exclusively to marketing and communications for the past 15 years, and during her time as Polin Waterparks marketing and communications director, the company has expanded across 117 countries.
Her curious mind led her to undertake and recently complete a master’s degree in Neuroscience and also participated in Professor Sinan Canan’s Neuroscience documentary series.
Pakis has been leading research on the connection between waterslides and applied neuroscience, developing the first quantitative study in the
heritage of Thailand in a safe and sustainable way,” says Liptapanlop.
“I am confident that Andamanda Phuket will become a destination in its own right, helping to attract new visitors to Phuket and stimulate the recovery of travel and tourism in the entire country.”
From design and ride mix to capacity and area development, the success of any project begins with comprehensive planning conducted by a highly experienced, specialised team.
The goal? To regularly break attendance records and ensure repeat visits!
Here are some preliminary steps.
Analysis and review – examine existing infrastructure, gather essential information, and conduct feasibility study to help identify issues and avoid costly delays and budget blowouts.
Program development – address operations, entertainment value, capacity, and budget. Critical functions such as management and staff
field of neurorecreation – a new discipline investigating the relationship between recreation and neuroscience.
She has served as a committee member of IAAPA EMEA, M&S Committee and has been longstanding member of World Waterpark Association, NRPA, EWA and is a board member of the Turkish Association of Amusement Parks, Recreation and Attractions (TEPEA), where she is head of water park and recreation committees, amongst many other roles. Additionally, she has presented at IAAPA expos and WWA shows among the many industry conferences and conventions, as well as lecturing at prominent universities.
Her published research articles include:
*Neurorecreation: A Conceptual Framework Building a Bridge Between Neuroscience and Recreation
*Flow in Home-Based Leisure During the Covid-19 Lockdown: A Case Study for People Aged 65 and Over in Turkey
* Master Thesis: Evaluation of Water Slide Experience in Terms of Biometric Parameters: Neurorecreation Study
Watch a video of her describing the neurorecreation research at SPLASHTV at www.splashmagazine.com.au/videos
operations, cash and ticket handling, rentals, food and beverage, and retail opportunities are included. This is also where plans for future expansion are addressed.
Plan and concept – develop a full park plan following program findings. This buildable concept stage serves as a roadmap to achieving park goals and confirm key project factors such as estimated cost to build, operating budgets and capacity.
Budget and feasibility – the parks goals, budget, timing requirements, and a complete design/build cost of all specialty aquatic features is provided. This process should provide you with all the information you need to begin the next phase of project development. n
www.andamandaphuket.com www.polin.com.tr www.whitewaterwest.com
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