SPLASH October-November 2019

Swimming Pools / Leisure / Aquatics / Spas / Health

Issue 126 October/November 2019

Urban garden pool Wins architectural award Better filtration For hydroponic projects The Gen X love affair With swimming pools

Latest ideas in disinfection And the role of residual

www.splashmagazine.com.au

AR

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The Pixie is perfect for plunge pools, swim spas, jacuzzis, spas, hot tubs and small volume water features.

Chlorine output -10g/hr Compact and lightweight form factor - allowing easy handling and installation in tight spaces Stylish – featuring a space-efficient micro design Functionality – providing low chlorine output, geared for small water volumes Robust Powder-Coated Steel Construction - delivering a durable and corrosion resistant enclosure Simple User Interface - retaining only essential control functions Robust and Reliable Transformer - resistant to power fluctuations and high temperatures Tinted Polycarbonate Front Cover – protecting the user interface against direct sunlight

There is a significant trend in Australia toward higher density living, making properties smaller and space at a premium.

IP56 Waterproof Switch and Circuit Breaker - providing safer user interaction

However, people still want their private pool, and this means the plunge pool and spa market has exploded.

Multiple safety measures – preventing damage caused by overloading, water flow interruption, high/low salinity and other unforeseen events

This smaller application requires specifically designed pool chlorination technology. Being true to our purpose, we responded quickly to market demands with the launch of the purpose-built Pixie RP10.

External Aluminium Heatsink - providing enhanced cooling to alleviate internal heat Reverse Polarity (RP) Function - reduces calcium build-up on electrodes, resulting in less maintenance

Unlike other costly and dangerous chlorine generators designed for much larger water volumes, the Pixie provides real peace of mind because of its cost-efficiency, simplicity, reliability and ease of installation.

Genuine AIS Anode - ensuring the longevity of the electrolytic cell Proudly Australian Designed and Manufactured

Specifications Model

Chlorine Output* g/h

Input AC Power Consumption* Kilowatt hour (kWh)

Input Current Amps (A)

Water Flow L/mins

Dimensions (Packaged) L x W x H cm

Weight (Packaged) kg

Dimensions (Power Supply) L x W x H cm

Approximate Pool Size m3

Salinity Range ppm

Pixie RP10

10*

0.085*

0.4

150 – 450

48 x 35 x 17

5.5

23.0 x 21.4 x11.2

20

4000 - 5500

*All test were conducted at the temperature of 26°C, pH 7.7, Salinity level 5000 ppm and Flow rate 200 l/m.

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Published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd ABN 940 025 83 682 41 Bridge Road, Glebe, NSW, 2037 Australia Ph: (02) 9660 2113 Fax: (02) 9660 4419 On behalf of The Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Australia Ltd (SPASA Australia) Publisher: Simon Cooper Managing Editor: Chris Maher Phone: 0412 048 639 Email: chrismaher@intermedia.com.au

editorial A wellspring of wellbeing

Contributors: Izzy Grace, Alan Lewis, Adrian Lacy, Brett Lloyd Abbott, Chris Strode Advertising Manager: David Stennett Phone: 0404 725 554 Email: david@spasa.com.au Senior Designer: Chris Papaspiros Production Manager: Jacqui Cooper Acting Circulations Manager: Troy Brookes For Subscriptions Call: 1800 651 422 Copyright All material in this publication is copyright to the publisher and/or its contributors. No material may be reproduced without the express permission of the publishers.

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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 may appear in this publication.

Chris Maher Managing Editor chrismaher@ intermedia.com.au

There’s a multitude of health benefits that come from owning a swimming pool.

For a start, swimming is great for physical fitness – you can exercise your whole body without putting pressure on your joints, and you can build muscle while retaining flexibility. And you gain all the benefits that come from aerobic exercise, including improvements to your heart, brain, outlook and overall longevity.

And swimming pools are the ideal place to gather with friends and family in a relaxing environment, fostering a positive mood and temperament, and good mental health.

That body of water in the backyard is a little wellspring of wellbeing.

Of course, the water can’t just sit there all year without being treated, or it will not be healthy at all.

For more than a century, the prime method of treating the water has been chlorine. It still is the most popular – even though there are new ways for it to be produced. For a long time the most common way in Australia was via salt, using electrolysis to extract the chlorine from sodium chloride. Now there are other methods of generating the chlorine from mineral salts to inline freshwater chlorination, which produces the chlorine from the compounds already present in standard tap water.

Different types of sanitisers have also become popular, sometimes as a secondary form of sanitisation, sometimes as the primary form. These include UV, hydrogen peroxide, oxidation, ozone, ionisation and some you may not have heard of, such as hydrodynamic cavitation and ultrafine bubble injection. We look at these methods and others in this edition, and see where they may lead in time.

And while residential swimming pool and spa disinfection has generally taken advantage of ideas generated in municipal water disinfection (often passed down through commercial swimming pools on the way) it’s pleasing to see one story in this issue that goes the other way.

In that case, ideas generated in the Australian residential swimming pool industry are helping keep water beautifully clean and healthy for the commercial hydroponic industry. And that’s not only helping people be healthy, but also helping them to be fed!

Full page ad

This issue of SPLASH! magazine published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (Intermedia) may contain magazine or subscription; offers, competitions, forms and surveys (Reader Offers) which require you to provide information about yourself, if you choose to enter or take part in them. If you provide information about yourself to Intermedia, Intermedia will use this information to provide you with the products of services you have requested and may supply your information to contractors that help Intermedia to do this. Intermedia will also use your information to inform you of other Intermedia publications, products, services and events. Intermedia may give your information to organisations that are providing special prizes or offers that are clearly associated with the Reader Offer. Unless you tell us not to, we may give your information to other organisations that may use it to inform you about other products, services or events or to give it to other organisations that may use it for this purpose. If you would like to gain access to the information Intermedia holds about you, please contact Intermedia’s Privacy Officer at The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd, PO Box 55, Glebe, NSW 2037.

Copyright © 2019 - SPASA Australia.

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This issue’s cover

Swimming Pools / Leisure / Aquatics / Spas / Health

Issue 126 October/November 2019

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.

Urban garden pool Wins architectural award Better filtration For hydroponic projects The Gen X love affair With swimming pools

Latest ideas in disinfection

The cover shot shows the winning landscape project in the 2019 Houses Awards. Kieron Gait Architects with Dan Young Landscape Architecture created a natural pool and landscape that belies the urban Brisbane setting. There is more on this pool on page 52.

Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones

And the role of residual

www.splashmagazine.com.au

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 7

Typical small businesses spend 12 hours a week entering data, keeping track of purchasing and running costs, chasing payments, making payroll and managing their accounts.

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Contents 52 24

Pool drowning numbers decline for third year in a row The summary of the 2019 National Drowning Report highlights the significance for the swimming pool and spa industry of research into and analysis of fatal and non-fatal drowning across Australia.

44

Chlorine, cavitation and ultra-fine bubbles Alan Lewis looks at some new concepts in sanitisation including hydrodynamic cavitation and ultra-fine bubble injection.

26

50

Outdoor trends for the coming summer Recent research shows a record number of Australian homeowners are planning to stay in their houses for longer and invest in outdoor home improvements such as swimming pools.

26

Survey finds pools popular with Gen X The annual Houzz Survey indicates 59 per cent of Australians wanting to renovate, want to do so in their outdoor space, and also that Gen X is the age demographic most partial to swimming pools.

62

29

Industry Snapshot: Tony Sharpe In the first of our series of Industry Shapshots talking to pool and spa industry leaders, SPLASH! talks to someone who started in the industry as a kid and ended up managing director of Hayward Pool Products Australia.

30

Better marketing by fighting fragmentation Pool Builder Marketing’s Brett Lloyd Abbott says if your messages and touch points aren’t part of a cohesive strategic plan, they’re almost certainly going to be ineffective.

34

Minimising chlorine use through disinfection innovation Izzy Grace looks at alternatives to chlorine, while also asking industry professionals about the essential role of residual chlorine and what we can expect to see on the horizon.

Natural family pool wins Houses award The Houses 2019 Garden/Landscape Award went to Kieron Gait Architects with Dan Young Landscape Architecture for a natural pool and landscape that belies its urban Brisbane locale.

59 34

Australian pool technology improves Asian hydroponics The challenges included clearing algae and bacteria from the open water races and drains, and ensuring fresh clean water to produce healthy vegetables.

60

Kid appeal at Lakelands Aquatic Centre The purpose-built facility’s specially designed features include a pool with built-in teaching ledges and a changing area designed to offer enhanced parental supervision and safety.

32

Show me the money!

Chris Strode explains how to put systems and processes in place to ensure you get paid on time and avoid the frustration and financial stress of having late paying customers.

52

regulars News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Commercial news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Pool DAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

New products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Ad index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 9

news

Construction

Bali Group buys Majestic Pools & Landscapes Majestic Pools & Landscapes has (L-R) Daryl been acquired by Bali Pools Group.

Knipe director As part of the acquisition, Bali Bali Pools, Wipat Pannawong, Pools gains the business names house builders, Majestic Pools & Landscapes Mark Knipe, and Majestic Constructions, Purapool and the Majestic trademark, the Ash Ryan Bali majesticpools.com.au website, Pools supervisor Majestic’s phone numbers and email addresses, as well as past current and prospective client lists, social media pages, intellectual property, awards and the pool and landscaping design portfolio.

One of Australia’s longest standing concrete pool builders, Queensland’s Majestic Pools & Landscapes suffered from a range of market conditions and saw declared revenues down considerably compared to the previous year. The company went into liquidation in July, and in August the liquidators offered the complete business for sale.

Bali Pools is a 22-year-old company that was founded by Daryl Knipe in 1997. Majestic Pools & Landscapes will fit into the premium end of Bali Group’s growing stable of brands, servicing Brisbane with the potential to also service the landscaping segment on the Gold Coast.

Knipe says that he acted quickly with an offer after learning that Majestic had gone into liquidation.

“The day I heard, I contacted the liquidators and my lawyer sent through a proposal, and everything that was documented in SPLASH! was everything that I had offered.”

Majestic Pools founder, Jack Jakovac, is staying on with the brand and will continue to head up the team of designers.

Burgeoning portfolio of brands

The Bali Group now includes Bali Pools (high end Gold Coast), Cosy Pools (builders range Gold Coast), Majestic Pools & Landscapes (high end Brisbane) and North Brisbane Pools (builders range Brisbane), with all companies specialising in in-ground concrete pools.

Knipe says he purchased Majestic to build the Bali Group and to take it to another level.

“Everything that we’ve purchased is going to be used and utilised at its greatest – it’s definitely a vision.”

The vision started to take shape back in 2007 when, just prior to the GFC, Knipe bought Ray Lord Pools and Big Time Pools. In 2011, after the effects of the GFC hit the business, he put the plan on hold and left the swimming pool industry. He resurrected the plan in 2018.

Knipe learned the trade under second generation builder Wayne Haylock of Burleigh Pools from 1993, working with him from the time he left school until he branched out for himself in 1997.

“I took time out from 2011 to 2018. It takes its toll and when you’ve got young children you need to spend some time with them.

So I set it on the shelf and studied water management in the United States by correspondence.”

Knipe started Gold Coast Water Treatment, handling waste water treatment plants and waste water in the food industry. The business still handles the after-sales water treatment for the entities under the Bali Group.

“I always had a passion for swimming pools and decided to get back into it,” he says. Last year he began picking up other companies and putting a team together.

Cosy Pools had been operating for about five years on the Gold Coast and offered a standard pool builder range.

10 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

“They’re quality structural concrete builds at a reasonable price,” he says.

“But the clients can’t change the designs. Bali Pools is at the premium end on the Gold Coast – more lush pools for entertaining and not just for the kids.”

He says that Bali Pools misses out on about 30 to 40 per cent of the market because of price, but in those instances they can direct potential clients to Cosy Pools. A similar situation will play out in Brisbane with Majestic Pools & Landscapes and North Brisbane Pools. Additionally, Majestic might pick up some work on the Gold Coast focussing on their design and landscaping expertise.

He says the Bali Group will continue to strive to acquire other quality pool companies that are struggling to sustain their businesses for a variety of reasons.

The coming boom

Knipe believes he is the perfect age to fulfil his vision – old enough to have made some mistakes, young enough to see the future.

“I’m 44 years of age and I’ve been in the industry a lot of years and I’ve made some mistakes – you make mistakes, you fix them, you rectify the problems and get on with it. People in their twenties have still got a lot of mistakes to make, while someone in their sixties is looking to get out. But in your forties, you have the experience and also the vision.”

As well as building on the Queensland side of the business, Knipe is looking further south – into the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, encompassing Byron Bay, Ballina and Lennox Heads. While the area has become known as the playground for the rich and famous, he says there are a lot more people living there than just the glitterati.

“There are lots of mums and dads who live there who want to design and construct a pool – it’s not just the famous people out there – I love having a coffee with mums and dads and design the pool they want.

There is a passion and a drive in that.”

He says feedback shows the customers appreciate their hands being held.

“I micro-manage builders and swimming pool companies – and all those problems that might arise, I want to hear about,” he says. “We’ve got sensational supervisors – all high end people across the business.”

He thinks the Gold Coast is gearing up for a boom.

“We’ve got a lot of top end stuff going on in Hope Island and Sovereign Island – they’re kicking off now – and they have the money for a swimming pool and landscaping package, and those areas are thriving.

“On the western side of the Gold Coast Highway we’re seeing a lot of old houses getting pulled down and rebuilt. It’s the biggest market on the Gold Coast – Burleigh for instance, Miami, Labrador – Currumbin is probably one of the biggest at the moment – and Tugun.

“I don’t think the Gold Coast has ever had a boom. We’ve had spikes before, but the boom is yet to come. I’ve lived on the Gold Coast since the late 80s and something very special is happening here at the moment.”

He says they get constant enquiries from real estate agencies on behalf of people who are buying two blocks side by side to knock down the houses and build a mansion with a pool, because the property values have tripled.

“We get real estate agents calling us three times a week. I can’t see it slowing down at all.”

The swimming pool is a place where memories are made and Olympic stars are born

Data queried as quarter drops

Two hour-long episodes of a new one million backyard pools. The documentary on swimming pools pool is where we splash around as aired on the ABC in September kids, chase Olympic-sized dreams and is still available on iView. as teens, keep fit as adults and The Pool evokes the deep nosgather as a multicultural commutalgia and childhood memories nity of equals. that have become seminal in the Stripped to our budgie smugformation of the Australian identiglers or boardies, bikinis or ty, concentrating on our relationburqinis, we all have nostalgic ship with the swimming pool. The memories of the pool – relief from pool is a focal point for leisure the blistering heat, the sting of and community – a place where chlorine, the terror of the school the splash of practising catches swim carnival, poolside fashion, inspires young cricketers, bellyflops, bombs and dives.

Yearand Old the Year New 2000 continues to scent of sunscreen The pool is also our theatre evoke summer idylls. of competition, where Olympic But this is also1500 a story of drastars are crowned, and commuma. Because, beneath the pool’s nities have fought for access and allure as a hedonistic playground, acceptance. From the Freedom 1000 lies the surprising and untold Rides at Moree to the fight to keep story of a battleground where Parramatta Pool open, unlike any 500 feminism, racism and sexualiother country on Earth, our pools ty were explored, and sporting play a pivotal part in our lives.

0 MarPool AprilisMay June July Aug Sept heroes were born. Oct Nov Dec Jan FebThe directed

by Sally We are the world capital of Aitken, and written by Barracuda Year Old Year New pools – Australia boasts more author Christos Tsiolkas with 5000 than 100 ocean pools, more than Sally Aitken and Paul Clarke, and 1000 public pools and more than narrated by Richard Roxburgh.

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The Pool puts swimming pools at the centre of Australian culture

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Infectious dose of nostalgia with ABC’s The Pool

Three-monthly comaparison

Culture

Yearly comparison by month

The August numbers were so significantly low that SPLASH! queried the numbers with Cordell. At the time of writing they were triple-checking the input from councils, and it may be that the DAs have lagged and will show up in the next period. The three-monthly numbers for July-to-September show the quarter down by 34 per cent compared to the same period last year, with all states dropping: Queensland by 65 per cent, Western Australia by 38 per cent, South Australia by 27 per cent, New South Wales by 32 per cent and Victoria by three per cent.

The data showed the annual figures to September down six per cent, with Queensland up three per cent, Victoria up seven per cent, New South Wales down 11 per cent, South Australia down 21 per cent and Western Australia down 25 per cent.

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While these figures give an indication of the way the market is trending, they are not comprehensive and don’t include all pools built or even all DAs lodged. By some estimates, the total national numbers including all types of pools could be almost double these figures. They do not include pool projects that are approved as part of a new home, smaller projects under the cost threshold, renovations that don’t require a DA, or some aboveground pools. Additionally, not all councils are forthcoming with data or report on time; councils in some states such as Queensland and Victoria are particularly reluctant.

For further information, call Cordell Information on 1800 80 60 60.

Lorem ipsum Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 11

news

Environment

Three more pool covers join Climate Care Program Australian manufacturers NCS and Sealed Air are the latest swimming pool and spa industry suppliers to join the Climate Care Program with their environmentally sustainable solutions, along with Daisy who adds their ThermoTech cover to their existing entry for their Ultradome pool cover.

They join the growing list which includes Lo-Chlor for its Solar Shield product, Sunbather for its Thermal Pool Blanket, Neptune Benson with their Defender ultra-fine filter, Sancell for their Streamline Dome pool cover, Supreme Heating for the Heatseeker Dualsun hybrid system, Remco for their Swimroll pool cover system and Abgal for their Oasis pool cover.

ThermoTech Pool Cover The benefits of Daisy’s ThermoTech Pool Cover that helped it gain accreditation include that it stops 99 per cent of evaporation; offers class leading heat retention; can be used indoors or outdoors; comes in a range of colours; is durable with a heavy duty 4.5mm crosslinked polyolefin foam, sandwiched between two layers of UV stabilised, polyethylene based polyfabric Canvacon film.

Additionally it comes with an eight-year pro rata warranty.

Suncap Pool Cover The benefits of Sealed Air’s Suncap Pool Cover are that it reduces evaporation by up to 98 per cent while the blanket is on the pool; reduces the cost of chemicals as the blanket also helps to maintain the pool’s chemical balance; and provides the pool with thermal insulative properties that maintain the water temperature for longer.

The blanket also reduces evaporation heat loss by up to 75 per cent which will not only save money on heating bills but save valuable energy sources. It is long lasting as UV inhibitors provide the best protection available for a pool blanket; it has thicker bubble – the bottom layer is thicker than other pool cover material – this makes it highly resistant to degradation from chlorine and salt; it has greater durability – the Suncap proprietary technology enables even distribution of the material across the bubble, ensuring strength in the corners of the bubbles and overall durability of the cover; and the design and size of the bubble provides superior buoyancy and excellent adhesion during high winds.

Hunter and Sydney regions, as well as country NSW, and a friendly professional team.

The benefits of their pool cover are that it reduces evaporation by up to 98 per cent and reduces the cost of chemicals; provides thermal insulative properties that maintain the pool’s temperature for longer; reduces evaporation heat loss by up to 75 per cent; lasts longer thanks to ultraviolet inhibitors; and the bottom layer is thicker, making it highly resistant to degradation from chlorine and salt with greater durability thanks to the strength in the corners of the bubbles.

Climate care benefits The consumer benefits of the Climate Care program include the fact that consumers can purchase with confidence knowing that they are choosing a certified environmentally sustainable solution. They will also enjoy the benefits of choosing a solution which utilises water efficiency, energy efficiency, noise reduction measures, environmentally sustainable designs or efficiency/sustainability innovations, and reduce their overall carbon footprint while saving money.

For the industry, the benefits including being able to highlight the product/system/installation’s environmentally sustainable qualities, show your commitment to preserving the environment and to industry best practice, and demonstrate your investment in the industry’s sustainable future while inspiring others to do the same.

All Climate Care Certified products undergo independent thirdparty testing and/or verification to assess and report on claims being made such as water efficiency and energy savings.

Only credible and trusted local, national and international testing and verification bodies are considered by SPASA to ensure that claims being made on energy and water efficiency and sustainability are substantiated.

Pool covers keep the pool warmer, making for a better swimming experience. Image: Daisy

NCS Pool Cover NCS Pool Heating has been in operation for more than 30 years and has installed more than 15,000 heating systems in that time. They have a dedicated mobile team servicing the Central Coast, Newcastle,

Keep informed by subscribing to the free online newsletter.

The four-sided infinity pool on top of the world While Infinity London hasn’t been built yet, but the plans from Compass Pools UK to construct a 360-degree infinity pool on top of an elongated 55-storey pyramid are remarkable.

12 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Top five online news stories

The online stories that made the news over the past two months.

Majestic Pools & Landscapes goes into liquidation One of Australia’s longest standing concrete pool builders, Queensland’s Majestic Pools and Landscapes, went into liquidation.

Bali Group buys Majestic Pools & Landscapes Majestic Pools & Landscapes will fit into Bali Group’s growing stable of brands, servicing the premium end of the Brisbane market.

NSW pool certifier fined $15,000 A NSW E1 pool certifier has been fined $15,000 for unsatisfactory professional conduct, with the fine ratified by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Clark forms new affiliation prior to standalone pool and spa rollout As Clark Rubber launches its standalone pool retail franchises, it forges a new relationship with Pentair and develops a strategy of growing its range of consumer offerings.

news

Upcoming events 2019 Nov 5-8

Aquanale, Cologne, Germany

Nov 5-7

International Pool Spa Patio Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Nov 5-8

FSB, Cologne, Germany

Nov 6-8

SETT, Montpellier, France

Dec 2-5

Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo, Niagara Falls

Dec 11-13

Japan Build, Tokyo

2020 Jan 13-17

International Swim Schools Spectacular 2020, Singapore

Jan 28-30

Spatex, Coventry, UK

Jan31-Feb2 Melbourne Pool and Spa Expo, MECC Feb 14-16

Aqua Fitness Convention, Adelaide

Apr30-May3 Asctacon 20, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre May 18-20

AALARA Conference, Gold Coast

July 29-30 SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show, Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre 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.

League legend Billy Slater at the Pool Pro stand at SPLASH! on the Gold Coast 2018. The next SPLASH! will be held on July 29-30, 2020.

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 13 Multicyclone Ultra Vac Portable Filtration Cart Ad 270mm x90mm_2019.indd 1

10/4/19 9:00 AM

news

Distribution

Industry moves Kevin Holleran is Hayward’s new president and CEO, replacing Clark Hale who had been in the role for seven years. Holleran has nearly 30 years’ management experience, most recently being president and CEO of a $4 billion arm of publiclylisted Textron. Two years ago Hayward transitioned to a private-equity firm following more than 50 years as a family-owned company and the company thanked him for his contribution through the transition, as well as making several strategic acquisitions.

Jason Standfield has been appointed head field technician for Pentair Australia. He started in the pool industry 24 years ago with Sandringham Pools and was the owner of Aquatic Crystal Clear Pools for 10 years before taking a role at Neptune Pools Victoria as their leading technician for nine years. He says is extremely proud and excited to take on the new role and grow with the company into the future.

Clark Rubber has appointed Shawn Scurrah as general manager of Driclad. Scurrah has more than 15 years’ experience in the Australian pool industry, most recently with Hayward Pool Products, where he held the role of national sales manager for the past three and half years, following his roles as Victorian and national sales manager over an eight year career with Focus Products.

He will lead the Driclad team and report directly to Anthony Grice. Cathy Dawson was also appointed Driclad customer service representative and Paul Falconer purchasing and warehouse manager.

14 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

New Brisbane warehouse for Pentair Pentair has opened a new warehouse facility in Queensland, in the eastern Brisbane suburb of Murarrie.

Sales manager Bipin Gangadharan says the new 3800 square metre distribution centre is part of Pentair’s overall Australian growth plan.

“Quite simply, we need to be closer to our customers and we need to meet their expectations,” he says. “That is the reason for the new footprint.”

Gangadharan says the increase in demand for efficient pool and spa equipment throughout Australia has positively impacted the industry.

“At Pentair we have witnessed a shift in consumer purchasing habits from standard pool products towards total pool automation,” he says.

“This is due to the increased public awareness of energy saving, and in turn, the energy optimisation that these systems bring. The new Pentair Eco-Select range of products makes it possible to meet this demand.”

Address: 31 Paringa Road, Murarrie, Queensland The new 3800 sqm distribution centre

Fluidra staff welcome everyone to come and have a look at the new facility Distribution

Fluidra opens new warehouse in Willawong In August, Fluidra’s opened its new Queensland warehouse and distribution centre in Willawong. It is the first facility in Australia opened under the new combined Fluidra company, making the “supersite” the first of its kind.

Willawong is centrally located between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and stocks and distributes more Zodiac and AstralPool product in Queensland than ever before; enabling Fluidra to replenish the local trade centres more effectively and provide better support to their Queensland customers.

The new facility features: • An easy-access, well stocked trade counter for order pick up; • The first purpose built Fluidra training facility providing professional product training for both Zodiac and AstralPool customers; • A fully equipped workshop with expert service technicians for equipment repairs.

Stephen Matysiak, Fluidra managing director SoHem, gave the opening address and SPASA Australia executives were among the many business partners and customers to attend the day.

Address: 25 Industrial Crescent, Willawong, Queensland

Distribution

Pool Ranger opens new warehouse in Perth Pool Ranger WA recently held a trade night to celebrate the opening of their new warehouse in Bayswater.

Managing director Michael Griffin says he was thrilled at the huge turnout.

“Mark from EvoHeat and Blake from AIS did such a professional job introducing their products to the broad range of customers who attended the evening. We are all very excited about our expansion into WA as well as our new warehouse in Bayswater,” Griffin says.

Blake Pearl from AIS says they were pleased to accept the invitation to display their products to Pool Ranger WA clients.

“It gave the attendees an understanding of what AIS does in domestic and commercial chlorination,” says Pearl. “We have a fantastic relationship with Pool Ranger and are looking forward to the upcoming season and seasons to follow. Well done to everyone who attended!”

EvoHeat’s Mark Hall presented their DHP, Force and Fusion range of swimming pool heat pumps to an enthusiastic group of trade customers.

“The trade night was one of the most successful trade nights I have seen in the pool industry,” says

Hall. “Will, Euna and the team at Pool Ranger WA put on a brilliant evening and I was particularly impressed by the thirst for knowledge in the EvoHeat product range by the attendees. We are expecting strong sales growth through Pool Ranger WA.” Pool Ranger has grown from a three-man team in the early 1990s to having both a residential and commercial division distributing through their warehouses in Western Australia and New South Wales to all states in Australia and New Zealand.

Address: Unit 8/5 Mooney Street, Bayswater, Western Australia

EvoHeat and AIS were the star attractions at the Bayswater event

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Safety

Fined certifier calls for more guidance from BPB A pool certifier who was fined $15,000 for unsatisfactory professional conduct says he would like to see more guidance for certifiers from the New South Wales Building Professionals Board (BPB).

He was fined by the BPB with the fine ratified by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). He had previously been sanctioned by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

The certifier, Phil Commandeur, has been an accredited certifier since August 2017 when he obtained E1 accreditation under mutual recognition but found the NSW regulations to be much more complex.

The BPB says he approached property owners without being solicited and gave the impression that he was associated with the local authority – two charges he denies. However he admits to making administrative errors including being late in forwarding a copy of the notice to the local authority, and not including all the required information under the Swimming Pool Act on the notices.

In one instance he referred to the 1986 standard rather than the 2012 standard.

He questioned through the NCAT whether his conduct in NSW was of a sufficiently serious nature to justify the board’s determination, seeing that the faults were administrative errors. NCAT confirmed the seriousness of the offences and confirmed the $15,000 fine imposed.

He is currently awaiting a payment plan from the board to cover the fine, and is able to continue operating.

Prior to the hearing at NCAT he had undertaken the Accredited Certifier Swimming Pool Certification course, as determined by the board.

A full copy of the case can viewed at via a QuickLink at splashmagazine.com.au.

Greater guidance needed Commandeur says he would like to see more guidance from the BPB with regard to interpretations of the standard, Act and regulations, saying that when asking for assistance, inspectors are often told to get advice from their solicitor.

“It’s tough when we’re asking questions for clarification about things that really do matter, but they’re telling us we need to seek legal advice,” he says.

This call for more information reflects the results of a survey of NSW certifiers conducted by SPASA Australia in 2018.

That survey found that 87 per cent of NSW certifiers believed there was not enough guidance from the BPB. Additionally, 72 per cent of certifiers had been provided with differing interpretations of the standards, regulations and the Act from the BPB. Also, 71 per cent of certifiers when re-inspecting pools or spas discovered that a council inspector or certifier had previously applied the wrong standard or incorrect interpretations of the Act or regulations.

Commandeur says he is a member of a Facebook page called E1 Pool Safety Inspectors NSW, where certifiers and inspectors discuss issues and assist each other with interpretations.

Spiros Dassakis, COO of SPASA Australia, says that any SPASA member can contact him for assistance, and he provides guidance to certifiers on a regular basis.

Safety

National roadshows organised to discuss critical new standard SPASA Australia, in conjunction with SPASA WA and SPASA Victoria, has been conducting a national roadshow to inform and discuss proposed changes to one of the industry’s most important standards: Australian Standard AS1926.1 – Swimming pool safety – Safety barriers for swimming pools.

The roadshow in Perth was well attended by interested participants

16 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

The new draft now officially open for public comment with a deadline for industry feedback of December 31, 2019.

SPASA Australia COO Spiros Dassakis says that this standard is critical to the swimming pool and spa industry and members should take the time to review what is being proposed.

“Cost to industry is estimated to be at least $150,000,000 per year and the effect of that will be spread across all sectors including: pool builders/contractors, fencing contractors and manufacturers, pool equipment and material suppliers, and the pool service industry,” he says.

Changes proposed in the AS1926.1 draft include a number of new requirements that have the potential to impact the swimming pool and spa industry, and there are concerns that the new draft may be more complex than is necessary and may not achieve the initial proposed objective to reduce interpretation, ambiguity and provide greater clarification.

The roadshow was ongoing at the time of writing and the first of the seven industry forums was successfully delivered in Western Australia in partnership with SPASA WA. “It was great to see so many Western Australian stakeholders

come together to provide feedback on the AS1926.1 draft standard,” says Dassakis. “These meetings help to unite our common views and provide a strong platform upon which we may advocate for better outcomes.”

Dassakis cautioned that while there are some minor positive aspects to AS1926.1, many of the proposed changes are likely to have a significant and negative impact to industry.

“It was clear listening to stakeholder views that there is significant concern regarding the clarity of the draft standard and its overall complexity,” he says.

SPASA WA CEO Bryce Steele agreed.

“The new draft appears to be more complex than is necessary and it’s clear, based on the feedback from the industry tonight, that the draft released has not achieved the initial proposed objective to reduce interpretation, ambiguity and provide greater clarification,” he says.

INTEGRATIONS

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Safety

Concerns raised about cost, timing and training for Victorian pool inspection regime Following the release of Victoria’s Building (nationally accredited or non-accredited Amendment (Swimming Pool and Spa) Regtraining). The approved course will then ulations 2019 Regulatory Impact Statement need to have materials contextualised (RIS), both SPASA Australia and SPASA or developed and be promoted and allow Victoria have provided submissions to the for students to enrol and undertake Department of Environment, Land, Water training and pass before being able to and Planning (DELWP). apply for accreditation/licensing as an While supporting the Victorian inspector. New inspectors must then set Government’s initiatives with pool safety up their businesses, start advertising and inspections, SPASA Australia has voiced a commence inspections. number of concerns in their submission, “We believe we can assist the government including that the timeframe seems to be in making sure they get it right,” says overly ambitious.

Dassakis. “We both want to achieve the Other key concerns include costs to pool number one objective of improving safety owners, the complexity of the program, the around swimming pools and spas. We decision to have 79 individual pool registers are hopeful that DELWP and the VBA will as opposed to a statewide register as well as listen to industry feedback and fine tune not supporting nationally accredited training. processes that ultimately will assist the Other suggestions by SPASA Australia include program in Victoria.” accepting spa lockable lids as an acceptable Dassakis says SPASA Australia modelling barrier, utilising industry members to help shows a net consumer expense of more than with pool inspections, and that after initially $750 million over 10 years, and it is critical inspecting all pools, there should only be the that the scheme be implemented efficiently. need to inspect new pools, and to re-inspect “Our feedback shouldn’t be taken as existing pools on sale or lease – not every criticism,” he says, “but as an objective three years as suggested in the RIS. response, having experience with similar SPASA Australia’s comprehensive submission “We applaud the Victorian Government,” programs in other jurisdictions.” is available at splashmagazine.com.au says SPASA Australia COO Spiros Dassakis.

SPASA Australia’s comprehensive “We support sensible reforms to improve safety in and around submission is available at splashmagazine.com.au. swimming pools and spas. However, we want to bring into sharp focus some of the possible alternatives which will improve the Comments from SPASA Victoria program’s outcomes.

Chris Samartzis is CEO of SPASA Victoria, which was a key member of “Data collected from New South Wales highlights reasons why the the Victorian Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Committee and the ComVictorian government should consider other alternatives, as can be munity Issue Based Working Group that provided recommendations and seen from the New South Wales survey results, which we’ve included in strategies to government.

SPASA Australia’s submission,” he says. “It is essential that government “After many years of campaigning to shape legislation around adopt the nationally accredited course, as it ultimately has to do with the mandatory barrier inspections, SPASA Victoria was pleased to submit safety of young children and will be a central requirement for licensing a response on behalf of the industry in Victoria with a view to providing individuals to perform certification of swimming pools and spas.” harmonisation between members, government and consumers,” he says.

Dassakis is sceptical about the timeframe given the large volume of In their submission to government, SPASA Victoria advocated: work required before implementation. It is worth noting that New South • For a strengthened industry via sensible regulation; Wales delayed their scheme twice – eventually implementing it two years • For a reduction of the burden on consumer demands; after the initial ambitious timeframe.

• For lockable spa covers as a secondary option to barriers Victorian pool owners will be required to register their pools by April for consumers; 14 next year with inspection certificates required by October 30, 2020 (for • Support for a locally accredited pool inspector training course, pools built before 1994), April 30, 2021 (for pools built between 1994 and including a comprehensive CPD program; 2010) or October 29, 2021 (for pools built after 2010).

• A sustainable capped fee for a one-off registration; Based on DELWP’s own survey and experience in other states, SPASA • More onus on councils to provide detailed information and a Australia estimates a total of 418,000 inspections will be required cohesive register; between October 30, 2020 and October 29, 2021.

• For the introduction of mandatory CPR signage; • An inspection regime that delivers a sensible and sustainable Timeframe approach that captures the intent of the legislation.

In the submission, SPASA Australia suggests the timeframe will be difHe says that, notwithstanding the competing demands of various ficult to meet. The RIS consultation ends September 6, 2019. Therefore, stakeholders, SPASA Victoria has submitted a positive response to the RIS, feedback that may influence DELWP’s decisions will still need to be to ensure a practical outcome that is both workable and sustainable. considered before finalising policy direction. This process alone should “SPASA Victoria will continue to work with the Victorian government take at least two months. to ensure we achieve our joint aim of making pools and spas safer and On top of this, decisions need to be made about who will be eligible more enjoyable for all,” he says. to inspect pools and spas and what type of training is appropriate SPASA Victoria’s submission is available to members on their website.

18 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

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news

Spa Tech Tips The electrical loading of a spa and its equipment must be correctly considered when replacing any component or system.

The EvoHeat Force 22 being installed at the Perth farmhouse pool

Promotion

Ready, set, swim EvoHeat will be part of TV series of Ready Set Reno, featuring the latest technology with their Evo Force pool heat pump.

The third season of Ready Set Reno airs from October 2019 on Channel 9, and the episode in question will air in January 2020. It follows the complete renovation of a Perth farmhouse which includes a number of energy efficient and sustainable household technologies.

EvoHeat director Tony Mills says that heat pumps are becoming a mainstream choice for people who want reliable pool heating and a consistent water temperature, with low running costs and low carbon impact.

“Heat pumps offer flexible heating capabilities allowing users to heat their pool all year round or extend their swim season,” he says. “With a class leading COP, Evo pool heat pumps are up to six times more energy efficient compared to other heating technologies and are not reliant on the weather so they can guarantee pool heating results no matter the outside weather conditions.”

A Force 22 Series heat pump will be featured, upgraded with the smartphone controller app.

“The smart phone controller app allows the heat pump to be completely controlled by wifi from anywhere in the world,” say Mills. “The smart phone controller app is available for iOS and Android, offers an easy and convenient way to heat the pool anytime, anywhere.”

Expos

Perth buyers defy economic climate The organisers of September’s Perth Pool Spa & Outdoor Living Expo at Claremont Showgrounds say the event exceeded expectations and built on recent successful expos.

Although facing a challenging economic climate in Western Australia, plenty of buyers turned out with more than 34 per cent looking for pools, 29 per cent for outdoor living products, 25 per cent for landscaping and 12 per cent for spas.

SPASA WA CEO Bryce Steele says they were delighted with the overall turnout for the event and that the initial feedback from the exhibitors was that they are happy with the generated leads and anticipated results.

“It was pleasing to see so many people wanting to invest in their own swimming pool, as pool ownership is part of our DNA in the West,” he says. “Perth is where 19 per cent of all homes have a backyard pool, this exceeds the national average of 13 per cent. The expo looked amazing,

the exhibitors put a lot of work into their displays to ensure this was the best looking expo yet.

Thank you to our major sponsor Riverina Pools and all of our amazing exhibitors who supported this expo.”

The next SPASA WA Pool Spa & Outdoor Living Expo will take place at the Claremont Showground from March 7 to 8, 2020.

If a spa has a 10A power cable, the total current draw must not exceed 10.5A. Because all available heater elements are 1.5kw/6.25A minimum, the maximum pump amperage during the heating cycle permitted is 4.25A. This means there are very limited pump options: 1. Single speed pump 4.25A – limited to 1.0hp pumps maximum 2. Two speed pump with blower – 1.5hp with max 10.5A combined high speed and blower 3. Two speed pump without blower – 2.5 to 3.0hp pump max 10.5A high speed.

There are no scenarios where a single speed pump greater than 1.0hp can be used, without an electrical circuit of at least 15A. Overloading can also occur when dip switches or settings incorrectly permit the heater to operate when load shedding is required.

Load shedding limits what can work together.

Typically, it prevents the heater functioning when the blower is operating, or the high speed of a two-speed pump is working.

If a spa pack has a stated maximum amperage rating, even with a higher rated electrical supply, that current rating cannot be exceeded.

Reference: AS/ NZS60335.1:2001

Radio 6PR broadcast live from the event

Contact: These tips are supplied by Adrian Lacy of Spatex. For more information call 1300 772 839.

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 21

news

Awards

Gosse proves to be top disruptor In Brief SPASA Australia is moving to new premises at 8/13 King William Road, Unley, South Australia. The new location has dedicated space for training and meetings, plus a more modern look and feel for staff and members. The move will be completed in November 2019.

Due to its expansion, SPASA Australia is looking for trainers and assessors to deliver nationally accredited training. Applicants must have a current Certificate IV in Training and Assessment; qualification of AHC30916 Certificate III in Landscape Construction; and/or five years of industry experience within the landscaping/ landscape construction sectors. Forward CVs to Peter Holland at: peter@ spasa.com.au.

Customers who purchase a Daisy Pool Cover from October 2019 to February 2020 will go in a draw to win their purchase back to the value of $1000, with one national winner drawn for each of the five months.

Residual funding is available to support the development of female leaders across Australia’s manufacturing and construction sector.

Grants of between $2000 and $7000 are available to participate in one of three programs that cover such things as reinforcing resilience and wellbeing, engaging with challenge and conflict, creating future focus, leading authentically and driving performance.

Forward an EOI by November 22 to www.wla. edu.au/manufacturing.

22 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Elena Gosse, CEO of AIS Water, has won the Gold Disruptor Award at the national YAwards, which celebrate women who have overcome adversity to inspire others.

Gosse won the award for disrupting the global swimming pool and spa industry through AIS’s inline water disinfection technology which provides safe and socially responsible water disinfection for commercial and residential swimming pools. Additionally, she is highlighting the responsibility of the pool and spa industry, governments and private sector to ensure water is preserved to enhance life the sustainability of our planet’s people, creatures and ecosystems.

Gosse became CEO of AIS Water after arriving in Australia without being able to speak a word of English. Her story includes how she arrived from Russia after living in a home where family violence was common, where she left behind a successful entertainment career, learned English, completed further university studies and then reinvented herself by succeeding in the male dominated industry of water disinfection. She also gives back to her community throughout a range of initiatives including Dancing CEOs which raises funds to assist women escaping domestic and family violence.

Expos

SPLASH! 2020 selling fast The SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show – already the Southern Hemisphere’s largest pool and spa trade show – has added another hall to accommodate increased demand from exhibitors – and already 70 percent of the space has been booked.

Even though the expo is nine months away, the space is filling fast and organisers are urging any prospective exhibitors to book early to ensure they are included in the industry’s major event. As the expo is held every two years, if they miss out on the 2020 event they will have to wait until 2022 to participate in the next show.

Five key sponsors Meanwhile, organisers Interpoint (operating for SPASA Australia), have announced five key sponsors for the event.

Fluidra (platinum sponsor), Pentair (gold sponsor), Dab Pumps (gold sponsor), AIS (silver sponsor) and Lo-Chlor (golf sponsor) have all signed on for SPLASH! 2020.

Nick Tagg, trade marketing and communication executive from platinum sponsor Fluidra says that SPLASH! is fantastic for a number of reasons.

“It puts us face-to-face with customers from across the country, allowing us to gain different perspectives from each state,” he says. “However, we’re most looking forward to seeing all the breathtaking displays and extravagant stands from Fluidra has been partners and competitors announced as the platinum alike – it’s a spectacle sponsor for every year!” he says.

SPLASH! 2020 Julie Stroud, national aquatics sales manager for gold sponsor Pentair says they will be launching their new range of sand filters as well as a new robotic pool cleaner.

“We are always excited to be at SPLASH! as we get to catch up with

industry friends, old and new, and discuss our great range of products and services,” she says.

“We believe we have a product solution to suit everyone and love the opportunity to showcase this at SPLASH!” Elena Gosse, CEO of silver sponsor AIS Water has been a long-time supporter of SPLASH! “The AIS Water team loves attending SPLASH!,” she says. “Each year as we are able share with more people AIS’ vision of saving and enhancing life through greater access to water. This SPLASH! is looking to be the biggest ever. It’s AIS Water’s dream that one day it will be the biggest international trade show in the world which will provide Australian companies with the platform to showcase their technology at ‘home’ to the largest, worldwide audience.”

The latest addition to the sponsor list is international pool equipment giant Dab who say they are keen to participate as a sponsor to stand out from the crowd and exhibit their quality state-of-theart products to a local and international audience.

SPLASH! 2020 will be held at the GCEC on July 29 to 30, 2020, and is expected to attract more than 2000 visitors. Alongside SPLASH! will be the Australian Swim Schools Association Conference expected to attract more than 400 swim schools.

Contact: David Stennett, david@spasa.com.au

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Pool drowning numbers decline for third year in a row

T

he National Drowning Report for 2019 presented by Royal Life Saving (RLS) highlights the research and analysis of fatal and non-fatal drowning across Australia between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019.

During this time, 276 people lost their lives to drowning and the report estimates a further 584 people experienced a non-fatal drowning incident.

The 31 drownings in swimming pools represent a 16 per cent reduction over the previous period (36 drownings) and a 23 per cent reduction compared to the 10-year average. This is the third year in a row that the swimming pool drowning numbers have declined.

In the critical 0-4 age group, there was a 12 per cent increase over the previous period (19 drownings compared to 17 previously) but that number still represented a reduction of 30 per cent over the 10-year average of 27 drownings. Swimming pools are still the most likely location for drowning deaths of children 0-4 years, with 12 deaths (compared to three for baths, two for rivers and two for lakes) however that number is a decrease compared to the 10-year average of 14 deaths.

This year’s overall findings show that: • The total number of drowning deaths over the past year increased by 10 per cent on the previous year; • The hottest summer on record led to a 17 per cent increase in summer drowning deaths when compared with the 10-year average; • Rivers accounted for 29 per cent of all drowning deaths, more than any other location; • There was a 39 per cent increase in multiple fatality events, that is multiple people drowning in one incident, compared with the 10-year average; • People aged 45 to 55 years accounted for 15 per cent of the total number of drowning deaths, the most of any age group.

As well as showing that drowning deaths in children aged 0-4 years decreased by 30 per cent compared with the 10-year average, it showed children aged 5-14 years remain the lowest age group for drowning (three per cent of all drowning deaths).

Justin Scarr, Australian CEO for RLS says that consistently low numbers of drowning deaths in children in recent years are encouraging, showing that Keep Watch messages, which highlight the importance of active supervision, physical barriers to water and water familiarisation, are hitting home and helping to keep children safe.

He also says RLS is continuing to focus on understanding the impact of both fatal and nonfatal drowning.

“Through this work, we aim to educate, inform and advocate best practice, working with partners and policy makers, to develop robust national drowning prevention and water safety strategies,” he says.

24 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Swimming and water safety skills

BELOW: Health benefits of swimming are numerous for all age groups, especially older Australians

The report investigated swimming and water safety skills of children aged two to 15 years old attending lessons at commercial swim schools, outside of school or vacation-based programs across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland between July 2014 and December 2016. This research provided insights into the skills being taught in commercial swim schools and the achievements in relation to the Framework.

It showed: • 56 per cent of children aged 2-4 years attending lessons are living in areas of high socioeconomic status; • Children aged 2-4 years make up approximately 25 per cent of children attending private swim schools; • Four-year-old children attended an average of 24 lessons, over approximately 5.6 months; • Four-year-old children accounted for the highest number of children in lessons; • The average age of starting lessons for a four-yearold was 3.3 years of age.

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Drowning deaths of children 0-4 in swimming pools have continued to decline over the past three years

Older people

As with any group, older Australians come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, with varying life experiences and lifestyles. These factors all influence the individual ageing process, and also reflect the risk of drowning for each individual.

Many older Australians have not received or were not exposed to the level of water safety education that most Australians receive today. This highlights the importance of introducing water skills and education for older Australians, as well as promoting the health benefits of recreating safely in aquatic environments.

For the previous 10-year period, the crude drowning death rate for older Australians (1.9 drowning deaths per 100,000 older population) was greater than the national Australian crude drowning rate (1.3 drowning deaths per 100,000 population).

Swimming pools was third in locations for drowning deaths for older Australians after rivers/creeks/streams and oceans/harbours.

However swimming was considered a highly valuable exercise for all – especially older Australians – and swimming pools have an important role to play in improving water skills and health outcomes.

Overall water safety recommendations

The report made the following recommendations.

• Advocate for all Australians, regardless of age or background, to access quality swimming and water safety education and increase participation among high-risk populations.

• Advocate for investments in swimming and water safety education, including the provision of swimming and water safety lessons, such as school-based and vacation programs.

• Raise industry awareness and implementation of the National Swimming and Water Safety Framework, and evaluate impact of the Framework.

• Evaluate swimming and water safety programs (including school, vacation and commercial) to ascertain best practice and outcomes for participants. Consolidate terminology when referring to and discussing “swimming lessons”, “learn to swim”, “water safety”, “survival skills” and “lifesaving skills”.

• Advocate for development and redevelopment of aquatic facilities, and work with industry to improve access for all Australians.

• Investigate the effectiveness of drowning prevention, water safety and lifesaving initiatives for teenagers and adults, and how best to increase participation. n Contact: Download the full report at royallifesaving.com. au or access a QuickLink at splashmagazine.com.au Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 25

feature

Australians are among the keenest outdoor renovators in the world. Image: Urban Escape (National Pool of the Year Winner 2019)

Survey finds pools

and 35 per cent of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, respectively, anticipating new projects.

“Despite a number of headwinds for the global and national economy, renovation activity continued to keep pace in 2018 and will likely experience a robust growth in 2019,” says Houzz principal economist Nino Sitchinava.

“Pent up demand continues to drive renovation activity, while spend on discretionary projects such as kitchens continues to grow, signalling strength in consumer confidence.”

As homeowners consider whether to renovate their current home or to purchase a new home, the top two considerations for renovating are to stay in their current home or area, outranking return on investment.

Wanting to stay in the current home is the biggest decision driver for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, whereas Millennials chose to stay in their current home and renovate because it was more affordable than moving.

Surprisingly, the survey found that the majority of renovating homeowners pay for renovations using cash from savings (76 per cent), followed at a distance by credit cards that can be used anywhere (19 per cent) and cash from home mortgage refinance (13 per cent).

Interestingly, reliance on credit cards is higher in Millennials than in older generations.

Nine of ten renovating homeowners hired a professional in 2018 (90 per cent), with electricians, plumbers and carpenters in greatest demand (62, 51 and 40 per cent, respectively). Baby Boomers are more likely to hire professional help than Millennials by 10 per cent (93 per cent versus 83 per cent).

popular with Gen X

T

he annual Houzz Survey has found that up to 59 per cent of Australian renovating homeowners spent money and time upgrading their outdoor space, structures and landscaping. This includes landscaping, swimming pools and outdoor buildings like sheds and gazebos.

This figure is higher than most other countries covered by the Houzz survey internationally, and Houzz demographers suggest that the Australian climate and lifestyle accounts for the greater interest in maximising the potential of the outdoor space.

The survey also found that six per cent of Australian renovating homeowners built a new pool or renovated an existing one, while six per cent also hired a pool and spa service provider.

Looking at a breakdown of the renovating Australians finds that the age demographic most likely to install or upgrade a swimming pool is the Gen X category – that is, people aged between 40 and 54. Eight per cent of renovating Gen Xers chose to include a swimming pool in the plans, compared to average of six per cent and the low of Millennials (ages 25 to 39) at three per cent.

Houzz demographers interpret the leaning towards Gen Xers as a suggestion that lifestyle changes and higher income levels are a major motivator for installing or upgrading pools.

Staying local

The 160-question survey was organised by Houzz, the leading international online platform for home renovation and design, and sent to registered users of Houzz Australia and fielded in April 2019.

The final sample constituted 8861 Australian respondents – of which 3784 had renovated their primary residence in 2018.

Overall, the results showed that renovation activity remained strong through 2018 with half of homeowners on Houzz (50 per cent) renovating an average of three rooms per project, at an overall median spend of $20,000.

At the higher end of the market, renovation spend in the 90th per centile reached $180,000. Baby Boomers (ages 55-74) and Gen Xers combined represent over three quarters of the renovation activity (79 per cent), at a median spend of $21,000 and $23,000, respectively. Nearly half of renovating homeowners planned to continue or begin renovations this year (47 per cent), with 41 26 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Getting smart

More than one in ten homeowners prioritise smart technology during home renovations (12 per cent), purchasing products like home assistants, streaming media players and security cameras. Baby Boomers are more likely than Gen Xers and Millennials to rank smart technology as a high priority (15 per cent versus 10 and 9 per cent, respectively), however Millennials are still incorporating the most home assistants (22 per cent), compared with one in ten Baby Boomers (11 per cent).

While improving the design and functionality of a home are the top priorities during renovations, more than two in five homeowners prioritise energy efficiency (43 per cent), replacing windows and insulation for example. This is particularly important for Baby Boomers when compared to Gen Xers and Millennials (50 per cent versus 39 and 36 per cent, respectively). n Download the full report via a QuickLink at splashmagazine.com.au.

Contact: www.houzz.com.au

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Industry Snapshot: Tony Sharpe

Tony Sharpe, managing director of Hayward Pool Products Australia

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ver the next several issues, SPLASH! will be running a series of Industry Shapshots.

These are short interviews with people in the industry we think you’d like to know a little more about. Some will be long time industry leaders who you may well know, but wonder where they started in the industry, what drives them forward and what their perspective on the future is. Others may be relative newcomers to the pool and spa industry, and we’ll be offering an opportunity to learn who they are and what they do.

First up is someone who definitely needs no introduction, Tony Sharpe, managing director of Hayward Pool Products Australia, who was a former founding director of Clevaquip and an industry participant since childhood.

How did you get into the pool and spa industry?

Like a lot of people, I came into the business via my family. My dad was in the pool business back in the late sixties/early seventies, originally in aboveground pools and then ultimately moving into wholesale distribution in Melbourne.

He founded Lincoln Leisure in our garage in Lincoln Drive, where my mum still lives. There was an office in the garage and in the lounge room. And I was dragged in like most of us – assembled filters and packed chemicals and all sorts of things you wouldn’t be able to do today.

What have been some of your highlights in the industry?

One of the best things I experienced with the industry was probably the opportunity to work with my family and learn from them – it was a great stepping stone for me.

And then the opportunity to work with Hayward.

Back in 1999 we took over Hayward’s Australian business as a distributor, and Haywood placed a lot of

“It’s a fun business and it’s full of good people: customers are great, suppliers are great, people we work with are great.” faith and confidence in us as individuals to take over their business here, which was fantastic, and was a major part of the past 20 years for me – in my life both at work and at home.

Where do you think the industry is heading?

I think technology is definitely becoming a much larger part of life in general. Swimming pools are not exempt from that. The iPhone, the desire to access things anytime anywhere, I think that’s probably where we’re going to be in the future with more integration, and being more systemised. That’s definitely started and I think that’s a journey for integration with the rest of the home systems and chemical control and automation, all those sorts of things.

What is your overall impression of the pool and spa industry?

I love it. I think most people I work with are pretty conscious of that. My kids know I like going to work every day and bringing it home. It’s fun and I think if you don’t enjoy it you shouldn’t do it. It’s a fun business and it’s full of good people: customers are great, suppliers are great, people we work with are great. It really is fun, and I think that’s the key to getting up every day, and for me that’s really important. n Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 29

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Better marketing by fighting fragmentation and hitting hot buttons ABOVE: Hot-button advertising connects with your prospects in a personal way, based on their individual needs, and what’s important to them

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hink back to the last advertisement or marketing piece created for your company – a brochure, website, printed ad, pay-per-click (PPC) ad, radio spot, etc.

Who created the final product for you? Chances are your PPC guy created your Google ads. The radio station created your radio spot. The magazine created your magazine ad. The design company created your brochure. The web design company created the website.

The video production company developed the content for your video.

Sound about right?

Now, think about how fragmented that makes your marketing efforts.

Each of those companies has a different idea for your marketing message, based on their limited understanding of your business. In the absence of real knowledge, they’ll fall back to the lazy scourge of empty platitudes, which we discussed previously. They’ll also probably throw in their own clever little twist of creativity, based on what they like, and/or what they’ve done for other clients who are nothing like you.

Now you’ve invested in a hodgepodge of different messages that don’t have anything in common with one another, other than your company name and logo.

Fragmented marketing is one of the biggest wastes of money for businesses today.

Every “touch point” with a client or prospect should echo and reinforce your overall strategic value message.

But that won’t happen using individual marketing pieces produced by independent teams who are working without a strategic plan.

If your marketing messages and touch points aren’t part of a cohesive strategic plan, they are almost certainly going to be ineffective.

Random unrelated ads, videos, emails and messages don’t work together, they don’t lead the prospect to a clear and specific outcome, and they don’t lead to success. Unfortunately, this is the most common marketing approach in business today.

By Brett Lyod Abbott

Sure, everybody is doing it, but it’s a killer just the same. (Hey, everyone used to smoke, too.)

Become systematised

Systematised marketing defeats fragmented marketing every time.

While fragmented marketing has no cohesive message or system, systematised marketing dictates the content of your advertisements, no matter what form they take. It dictates the sequence and content of the messages your prospects receive as they are led right to your door. It actually facilitates the prospect’s decision-making process by providing a clear picture of what you offer and why they should buy from you and not your competitor.

A systematised marketing plan considers and develops the message first. It then incorporates the message into a comprehensive marketing system which drives the prospect’s decision-making process.

Finally, it chooses the best media (Google ads, magazine ads, radio ads, television spots, video, email, etc.) to get those messages in front of your prospects, actively generating leads for your business rather than relying on a scattershot approach.

Your message is the most important part of your marketing.

You paid to have your ads produced, and you paid for the space or the airtime. But did you pay for the strategic content? Or was that just thrown together by the designer, production team, or your sales staff ?

The ad rep will tell you “Don’t worry, it’s included free with your ad!” The adage “you get what you pay for” could be no more accurate than here.

Your message is the most important part of your marketing campaign; it needs to be specific, coherent, and based on your knowledge of your industry and company.

Most importantly, it needs to function as part of a cohesive strategy to demonstrate your superiority to prospective customers, regardless of medium.

Hot buttons

“If your marketing messages and touch points aren’t part of a cohesive strategic plan, they are almost certainly going to be ineffective.”

30 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Now let’s talk about “hot buttons” – the secret elixir that gets people excited and motivated by your message, rather than the typical “Meh…” A hot button refers to an emotional “pain point” (or “pleasure point”) that means a lot to your audience, AKA your target market.

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“Talk to your best clients to uncover their true deep-seated pain points and desires.

What were they most worried about before, during and after they spoke with you? What was most important to them?”

It’s typically an important issue (to them) that they think about a lot. It’s the pesky fly (or seductive lure) that simply won’t leave you alone until you address it. For example: • “Honey, the car won’t start. Now I’m going to be late for work!”

• “Is that frigging roof leaking again?”

• “I’d like to get that laser surgery, but I can’t stand the thought of someone sticking a knife in my eye! I don’t want to go blind!”

• “Sure I’d like a pool. But Betty and Joe got burned by that contractor who went out of business. I don’t want that to happen to us!”

• “I got screwed by the last PPC company we hired. I’m not getting screwed again!”

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Common hot buttons for a homeowner may include issues such as getting over-charged or ripped off, or dealing with an unsavoury or untrustworthy contractor. Maybe they’ve heard the horror stories of homeowners who started down this path, but spent all their money and were left with nothing but an unfinished concrete shell in the ground.

A hot button is an instant trigger for anyone who has that issue.

Hot-button advertising connects with your prospects in a personal way, based on their individual needs, and what’s important to them.

They amplify a person’s emotional state, and offer tangible reasons for buying what you sell. They instantly connect your prospects’ brains to the real benefits they’ve been searching for all along.

Get inside their heads

Shine your light on the issue(s) burning inside your prospect’s brain.

Talk about these issues/concerns/hot buttons openly, and your prospects will eagerly listen to every word you have to say. Ignore them, and you’re wasting time and money, just firing in the dark, like everyone else.

Insert hot button triggers into your marketing messages, and you’ll get a much better reaction from the exact people you’re trying to reach.

If you have no idea what your prospect’s hot buttons are, it’s time to find out. Talk to your best clients to uncover their true deep-seated pain points and desires. What were they most worried about before, during and after they spoke with you? What was most important to them?

A little side truth here is that most of your target market will have the same hot buttons. Just like the Bell Curve Concept, and the 80/20 rule – roughly 80 per cent of your prospects will all have the same general concerns. So focus on that short list of issues, and you’ll resonate with the majority of your market. This is called “targeting the bell curve”.

If you hit these points in your advertising and presentations – then congratulations, you’re setting yourself up for success. But if you’re like most businesses, your designers/salespeople are talking “features” rather than benefits, and spouting technical jargon that does little more than confuse the homeowners.

To conquer this enemy, you must stop firing blindly in the dark.

Analyse and focus on your prospect’s hot button needs so you can trigger and resonate their brains with your specific solutions to their needs.

Work the hot buttons into all your messages. n These articles by Pool Builder Marketing’s Brett Lloyd Abbott’s are part of a series designed to provide pool companies with unique insights that will help them address modern marketplace challenges. Contact: www.poolbuildermarketing.com

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Show me the

Money!

By Chris Strode

Waiting to be paid can be frustrating and can negatively affect cash flow

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ate paying customers are one of the biggest frustrations for pool and spa business owners. Not only do they cause unnecessary stress and worry, but they have a detrimental effect on cash flow, causing some serious financial concerns. And this isn’t uncommon for small business owners either; almost one in three (28 per cent) of Australian small businesses report that 60 per cent of their invoices are paid late.

To save yourself the stress and worry, putting systems and processes in place to ensure you get paid on time should be a top priority. By taking the time to implement these, you will find your cash flow becomes more consistent and reliable, in turn helping your business run smoothly all year round. So, here are some quick and simple tips to help you get paid fast.

Invoice immediately

Send an invoice immediately after the work is complete. For busy small business owners, it can be tempting to put off invoicing until the end of the day, or even the end of the month, and complete it all in one go. But this slows down the payment process, meaning you might not get paid until over a month after a job is complete.

However, if you create and send an invoice immediately after a job is finished, your work is still fresh in the customer’s mind, making it as easy as possible for them to pay on the spot. You can then move on to your next project with the peace of mind that you have invoiced for all completed work. Some mobile invoicing apps even allow you to create and send professional invoices from your mobile phone on the job.

Sending a prompt invoice straight to your customer’s email or mobile will not only help you get paid faster, but shows you operate a punctual and professional business.

More payment methods

Offer multiple ways to pay. Once you’ve sent an invoice, it’s important to make sure the payment process is as seamless as possible for your customers.

One way to do this is by offering a range of payment options, such as credit or debit card, eftpos or direct deposit. Accepting your customers’ preferred payment method makes your service as convenient as possible for them. Removing any friction from the payment process means your invoices get settled faster.

Track on the go

An important aspect of invoicing is knowing how much time you’ve spent on the job, or on certain elements of the job.

32 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

“Putting systems and processes in place to ensure you get paid on time should be a top priority.”

Tracking your time on the go is a great habit to get into for all pool and spa business owners. If you have to pull together your hours when it comes to invoicing at the end of a job, this will delay your invoicing process. But if you record where your time is spent as you work, you will have your billable hours at your fingertips so you can create and send your invoice in no time.

Shorten your payment terms

Even if you submit invoices promptly after a job, some people simply have a habit of paying late. If this is a common problem for your business, consider reducing your payment terms from 30 days to say, 14 days. When your client sees that their deadline to pay is sooner, it increases the likelihood of them settling up in a timely manner, rather than leaving the invoice to be forgotten. This also saves you valuable time chasing overdue payments down the track.

In the pool and spa industry, the nature of your work means it’s likely your invoices will be for substantial sums of money. So that your client doesn’t withhold payment until they have the full invoice amount, you could offer the option to pay in smaller but regular instalments to help maintain a steady cash flow.

Follow up overdue payments

Even with these systems in place, the reality is that some customers still won’t pay you on time. When this happens, it’s important to follow up with a gentle reminder when payment is overdue. More often than not, settling the invoice will have simply slipped the customer’s mind, so a polite nudge might be just the reminder they need.

From poor cash flow to unnecessary stress, late paying customers have many negative impacts on small pool and spa business owners. But by setting up a few straightforward processes, late payment can become more of a drop in the ocean (or pool), than a monthly problem. n Chris Strode is the founder of mobile invoicing app Invoice2go. For more visit invoice.2go.com

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Minimising chlorine use through

Disinfection Innovation

By Izzy Grace

ABOVE: Naked says the pool water is good enough to drink

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isinfection is the cornerstone of healthy pool and spa water. And while chlorine is the most widely used method to eradicate viruses, bacteria and algae, new technologies and consumer demands have opened the market to numerous sanitation systems.

In this article we look at some of the products gaining consumer momentum and market share and ask industry professionals what we can expect to see on the horizon.

Photocatalytic oxidisation

One thing’s for certain according to International Quadratics (Interquad) marketing director Eddie Lloyd – Australia continues to lead the world in the design of domestic pool sanitation systems.

“Salt chlorination was developed in Australia back in the early 70s and was quickly embraced by the market,” Lloyd says. “Within a short period of time, 80 per cent of new pools were including salt chlorination. Only in the past decade has the USA and Europe adopted this method of sanitation to any great extent.”

Over the past few years, other sanitation methods have been introduced or even re-introduced such as ionisers, biguanides and hydrogen peroxide.

“All of these have been promoted on the basis that they are ‘chlorine free’. This is driven by consumer’s desire of having a more natural swimming experience,” he says. “However, as a residual sanitiser, chlorine is the most common and effective method of treating water and is likely to remain so.”

34 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

With this in mind, sterilising swimming pools has always been a matter of finding a balance between using chemicals strong enough to destroy harmful germs that cultivate in the pool, while at the same time limiting the negative impacts of the treatment method on bathers.

“For this reason, what has shown extensive growth in the past few years is ‘secondary sanitation’, which is the treatment of water during the recirculation process,” says Lloyd. “By far, the most impressive technology to emerge is advanced oxidation process (AOP), particularly an AOP system using photocatalytic oxidisation (PCO).

“PCO would have to be one of the biggest leaps in technology developments in pool sanitation for some time,” he says.

This technology, he explains, has been used and approved by hospitals and drinking water companies and contains the power to sterilise sewage into potable water without the use of chemicals.

“Photocatalytic AOP systems are used in commercial pools and spas, however new advances in technology has made this available to backyard swimming pool and spa owners, and it is now rated as the most powerful pool sanitiser on the market,” he says.

Lloyd says photocatalytic oxidisation is known as “nature’s silver bullet”, and has the ability to neutralise what chlorine, ozone and conventional UV sterilisers cannot.

“Many consider PCO to be the future of pool sanitation technology, simply because it is the only

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technology available with the ability to instantly destroy all viruses, bacteria and pathogens – and like no other device, will break down oil and contaminants,” he says.

“It is also predicted that AOP systems like the Theralux Quantum will be the future of pool sanitation as the consumer’s desire for more natural water continues to accelerate.”

While photocatalytic oxidation systems dramatically improve the quality of water beyond that of its primary sanitation, they do not provide residual sanitation. They do however allow the pool to be run at far lower chlorine levels. It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of chlorine is used up oxidising contaminants in the water and less than 20 per cent is used in fighting bacteria.

“By both oxidising and sanitising inline using a photocatalytic AOP system, the residual chlorine level can be reduced to a much lower level of about 0.5ppm or less,” he says.

“Those are drinking water levels.”

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The role of residual disinfectant

Darren Milne from Naked Pools says consumers are educating themselves before investing in a pool – and with an estimated one in three Australian children suffering from either eczema, asthma or other skin conditions, options that lower chemical levels are gaining popularity.

“Manufacturers are trying to bring down the level of chlorine or salt in swimming pools by either adding ozone or UV to the sanitising system,” he says. “This helps but basically there still needs to be some chlorine residual with these systems. The use of copper/ silver ionisation means you don’t need to rely on that chlorine residual – which in turn results in a healthier pool.”

While chlorine production has been the easiest way to disinfect pool water, Milne believes this will change in the future.

“Systems like the NKD1 utilise two very traditional methods of water sanitisation and the end result is crystal clear, fresh water,” he says. “Stabiliser (cyanuric acid) is already being banned in some parts of Europe and the USA and we believe alternative methods are certainly the way of the future rather than relying on a residual of chlorine in the pool water.”

That said, Milne believes there will always be a place for chlorination in the domestic swimming pool market.

“Natural swimming pools that use plants as part of the filtration process have come to market recently but this only work if you’re using the pool sparingly,” he says.

Darren Milne on site with a Naked installation

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“The Aussie tradition of having family and friends over for a barbeque and lots of fun in the pool still requires chlorination to remove bacteria and importantly organic matter such as dirt and dust, sunscreens, body oils and other nasty things kids can do in a pool.”

While it’s important to have a residual disinfectant to maintain safe, quality water, Milne says that residual doesn’t necessarily need to be chlorine and the associated chemicals to maintain chlorine levels.

“The Naked system uses a residual like the ancient Greeks and Romans used for their drinking water, which is copper and silver opposed to chlorine and these are actually more efficient than chlorine itself without the required chemicals,” he says.

Reducing the need for chlorine

Swimart has designed a series of visual aids for its Australasian franchise network, described as a foolproof system to help franchise partners explain pool chemicals and water chemistry to their customers, with nine icons to enable pool care professionals to use everyday language when discussing topics like algaecides, oxidisers and sanitisers.

36 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Lo-Chlor Chemicals managing director Paul Simons agrees that residual is still required but that new methods can reduce the level of chlorine needed in a pool.

He says the new products touting to be the next best thing in pool and spa disinfection are typically based on traditional sanitation models.

“Most new systems coming out are nothing new as far as their ability to sanitise the water,” says Simons.

“Instead, they’re revamps or upgrades of current ideas whether they be mineral pools, ionisation or salt chlorinators.

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“They may be marketed as ‘natural pools’ but if you read the fine print in the brochures, you’ll see they are required by law to include a registered sanitiser in some form.

“What I will say is that many of these systems reduce the need for chlorine but are still required by law to have a registered sanitiser that is approved by the APVMA.”

Simpler, safer, smarter water disinfection solutions

CEO Elena Gosse says AIS Water has continued to push the boundaries of technology in order to achieve “simpler, safer and smarter water disinfection solutions”.

Over the past 25-plus years, the company’s focus on water disinfection via electrolysis has seen them recognised as a global leader in its field.

Gosse believes that home and commercial pool owners are now more savvy when it comes to the unproven or untested claims of some of the “alternative” water disinfection methods, and instead are more interested in choosing proven, quality-made chlorinators that disinfect pool water simply and safely while saving water.

“Whether a residential or commercial pool, water conservation is paramount,” she says. “As our planet suffers the effects of global warming and our most precious resource becomes scarcer, we are seeing a trend toward greater awareness of the need to conserve water in swimming pools.”

Installation of the Naked system

“As a residual sanitiser, chlorine is the most common and effective method of treating water and is likely to remain so.”

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“There is a genuine demand for alternatives to chlorine that will provide a better experience.”

She says a noticeable shift is occurring where people are moving away from conventional dosing “where cups or buckets of dangerous liquid or granular chlorine are added manually to pools”.

“People are preferring safer, simpler and smarter inline chlorination such as ours and which can be used in salt, fresh or mineral water pools.”

While pool owners are becoming more educated, Gosse would like to see more professionals in the pool and spa industry focus on water savings.

“Sadly, there are still a few cowboys out there who are making false claims and putting sales ahead of quality, truth and integrity,” she says.

She believes that the primary difference between conventional chlorine dosing and AIS Water’s technology is that the former requires swimming pool water to be dumped or continuously diluted to keep the water chemistry stable.

“This is completely unacceptable and is wasting trillions of litres of water globally each year while simultaneously diminishing life and environments in many countries,” she says.

She says that AIS Water has recently commissioned independent research from Brisbane’s Griffith University which shows that its technology can save over $40,000 in water rates and 25,000kL of water wastage per year in just one 50-metre public swimming pool.

Furthermore, she hopes to dispel the common misconception that chlorine is “somehow bad, or the enemy”.

“On the contrary, chlorine is a hero. It is the only globally recognised disinfectant for swimming pool water. It removes potentially lethal, pathogenic organisms and ensures the water is safe to swim in. It is here to stay.

“Unfortunately, not all water disinfection methods do this in an optimal way, and regardless of the method used, a chlorine residual is vital for protection against waterborne pathogens.”

As the planet’s population increases and demand for its resources becomes higher, Gosse remains confident that swimming pools will remain popular – even essential.

“As our lives get busier and busier the benefits of swimming will become even more important to communities, in fact I’d go as far to say it’s a necessity,” she says. “Whether a quick dip in the family pool or a

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professional athlete swimming laps, swimming contributes so many benefits to our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

“In Australia in particular, we love the water. It’s important for people to enjoy swimming without feeling guilty about wasting water.”

Demystifying misconceptions

LEFT: A swimming pool in Thailand using the Naked system BELOW LEFT: AIS Water’s MineralChlor Gold BELOW RIGHT: AIS Water’s MineralChlor Pixie

Maytronics trade marketing manager John Hardy says maintaining well-balanced water with high-quality technological solutions is the common goal for pool and spa owners. And while a growing number of people want to do this without solely relying on chlorine, he says that typically comes down to its misconceptions.

“People are not being properly educated on the requirement for chlorine, while misleading marketing about how chlorine actually works in a pool when sanitising the water doesn’t help,” he says.

“That’s why we are committed to educating consumers that chlorine is an essential part of any pool maintenance.

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“The by-products of chlorine are chloramines,” says Hardy, “which are the toxic chemicals that cause red eyes and itchy skin. On occasion, they can also exacerbate people’s allergies on contact with the skin or when inhaled while swimming.”

A variety of standards in Australia all recommend a minimum amount of free chlorine is required in the swimming pool to maintain good quality water while ensuring nasty bacteria and viruses are eliminated.

“At the moment, with no other real viable alternatives that are reliable with consistency, chlorination will always have a place,” he says. “But removing or significantly reducing the chlorine demand and the by-products of chlorination is really where the new frontier is.”

Hardy believes the reason consumers are embracing mineral pool systems like Mineral Swim is because “it feels great and is very easy to maintain.”

“We get feedback from consumers who have converted their swimming pool to Mineral Swim and they tell us the difference is like night and day,” he says. “They don’t smell like chlorine when they get out of the pool and they’re now able to enjoy swimming again with family and friends who have allergies or asthma.”

While consumers are actively looking for healthier swimming solutions for their families, Hardy says they need to see and feel tangible therapeutic benefits.

Elena Gosse says AIS is pursuing simpler, safer and smarter water disinfection solutions

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“People do a lot more research due to the availability of information and they get the benefit of using magnesium over salt or liquid chlorine,” he says.

Hardy says misleading labelling may pique people’s interest, but believes they’re creating a problem down the line. “They’re marketing them without sanitation agents when these are required to be included according to regulations.”

Improving pool quality and reducing maintenance

Waterco group marketing manager Bryan Goh agrees that mineral pool systems have been warmly embraced by residential and commercial pool operators – and that people want to add value to their swimming experience with therapeutic properties.

“The health benefits of magnesium are widely known and more people want to transform their pool water into a therapeutic oasis,” he says.

“Customers who have made the switch to Waterco’s Aqua-Health mineral crystals say they can immediately feel the difference – the water is silkier, your skin feels hydrated and the pool is more pleasant to swim in.”

Magnesium chloride is also known for its mild flocking ability, which helps to filter out particularly fine dust and dirt.

“This can reduce the need for additional chemicals like clarifiers” he says.

Four trends in disinfection John Hardy from Maytronics says the following four trends in disinfection are influencing the buying habits of residential and commercial pool owners: • Using alternatives with chlorine such as secondary disinfection to reduce chlorine demand and by-products; • Controlling pool chemistry better to maintain water quality and reduce chemical costs; • Using filtration products that reduce energy use and waste products like glass media that reduce backwash water and biofilm; • Using sanitation products that align to consumer lifestyles including clean living, healthy eating and staying fit.

“One in four people now suffer from a skin condition and this trend will continue to increase along with consumer desires for healthier lifestyle solutions driving increased consumer demand to provide alternatives that are not only helpful but effective,” he says.

“Ozone’s increasing popularity in the commercial arena as a secondary purification product is plain to see. It’s used with many of Australia’s leading aquatic centres and learn-to-swim schools now upgrading their systems to include ozone.

“The NSW Department of Health has some of the most stringent guidelines in the southern hemisphere and it recognises ozone as a secondary sanitation system.

This has been approved by the APVMA and endorsed by the Australian Swim School Association.

“Above all, people want products that make it easy and quicker to maintain their swimming pools. It’s now about working smarter, not harder.”

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“We are seeing a trend toward greater awareness of the need to conserve water in swimming pools.”

While Goh believes there will always be a place for chlorine – “It’s one of the most affective sanitisers because it is cheap to buy and easy to maintain” – he says pool owners are looking at reducing the chemical demand of their pool.

“More and more people want options that improve pool water quality while reducing maintenance,” he says.

Goh say secondary sanitisation systems are gaining momentum for this very reason.

“Modern pools need an active residual and a secondary system that picks up where the residual stops,” he says. “By combining proven and tested technologies, it is possible to have a pool that is clean, safe and clear.”

For example, ozone systems are popular secondary sanitisers because of their ability to reduce the amount of chlorine usage to maintain a free available chlorine

residual, which effectively destroys the chloramines that cause red eyes, dry skin and respiratory irritations.

Waterco’s Hydroxzone ozonator uses patented hybrid technology to produce both ozone and hydroxyl radicals. This combination adds another level of effectiveness in terms of oxidation and sanitisation.

“Hydroxyl radicals are among the most powerful oxidisers found in nature,” he says. “And the system also eliminates the need for shocking by providing more oxidation than free available chlorine while simultaneously improving water clarity.”

“The Hydroxzone system uses a modified VUV (high intensity ultraviolet light) ozone tube as a corona electrode to simulate nature – hybrid ozone acts like the sun,” he says.

“The result is an ozone generator that produces ozone using corona discharge technology and high energy light in one powerful system.”

Sequential disinfection and dual sanitisation systems

The swimming pool industry is awash with many different sanitation systems, all of which claim various swimming experiences, cost savings and low ongoing maintenance. However, for Hydroxypure inventor Nick Briscoe, there is a limited scope of what is an approved pool or spa sanitiser.

“There are three sanitisers that are recognised by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority

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(APVMA) and various health department guidelines – chlorine, bromine and hydrogen peroxide,” he says.

“They are the cornerstones of sanitation for pools and spas. If you cannot demonstrate a residual of at least one of these sanitisers in your pool or spa then it may not be safe to enter.”

For the operation of a commercial swimming pool or spa, it is mandatory that one of these sanitisers is used.

“In some locations, hydrogen peroxide can only be used in combination with a supplementary product,” says Briscoe. “For domestic swimming pools and spas, the operation should adhere to the guidelines but generally this is at the discretion of the homeowner as it is not mandatory. It is therefore vital that any consumer considering a sanitation system must understand what the measurable residual sanitiser will be for any system considered.”

In addition to an approved sanitiser, Briscoe says there are many supplementary products that can enhance the ability of the chosen sanitiser to work effectively.

“The reality is all of the approved sanitisers have limitations. Even when operated at the recommended levels there can still be outbreaks, such as cryptosporidium and giardia that can have severe impacts on the wellbeing of humans.

“It is for this reason,” he says, “that many health department guidelines recommend sequential disinfection

systems where additional elements support the preferred pool or spa sanitiser.”

The common supplementary products we typically see in conjunction with an approved sanitiser are ozone, UV, copper/ silver, and a plethora of algaecides, clarifiers, phosphate removers and chemicals to assist the ability of the sanitiser to work effectively.

“The challenge for the swimming pool industry is how can we achieve the ultimate swimming environment and then balance this with the operational costs and maintenance required,” says Briscoe.

“There is a genuine demand for alternatives to chlorine that will provide a better experience such as hydrogen peroxide-based systems but there have been challenges in delivering a long-term cost-effective solution for this method.” n

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Contacts: A IS Water: aiswater.com.au APVMA: apvma.gov.au International Quadratics: www.interquad.com.au Lo-Chlor Chemicals: lochlor.com.au Maytronics: www.maytronics.com.au Naked Pools: naked-pools.com Swimart: www.swimart.com.au Waterco: www.waterco.com.au

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 43

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Chlorine, cavitation

and ultra-fine bubbles

By Alan Lewis

Healthy pool water is essential for a good swimming experience

44 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

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I

s it possible to disinfect pools without the use of chlorine, bromine or their derivatives, and therefore bypass the disinfection by-products (DBPs) that can result from their use?

Chlorine and bromine were first used to disinfect drinking water, swimming pool water and wastewater after a scientific paper published in 1894 proposed that these chemicals would render water germ-free.

Germany and England were the first countries to treat entire water supplies with chlorine after outbreaks of typhoid fever in England in 1905 were arrested by chloride of lime (CaCl2 – calcium chloride).

This early chlorination continued until 1911 to ensure that further outbreaks would not afflict the population.

By then other countries had begun to follow suit.

Caution dictated that those early doses of calcium chloride to reservoirs were kept between 0.2 ppm to 0.35 ppm (parts per million) and very soon, drinking systems around the world were practicing chlorination of their water supplies. In 1913 Wallace and Tiernan developed a new way of feeding chlorine gas on a continuing basis to disinfect the Philadelphia water supply. This system has largely remained in vogue until now.

At this stage, experience with dosing of chlorine in pools was very limited. It took time for the responsible health authorities including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide on appropriate levels of dosing. Even today most official guidelines state that chlorine levels should be kept between 1.0 ppm to 3.0 ppm.

I have met many people who have made looking after pools their livelihood or their sport, and yet are very sensitive to chlorine (and bromine) levels. When they found that the levels of chlorine in the pool air and the water were too much for them, they simply moved to pools with disinfection levels which they could endure. This includes deleterious issues with eyes, skin and lungs.

Hydrodynamic cavitation

If we can disinfect pools without the aid of chlorine, bromine or their derivatives we can avoid DBPs which derive from the reaction between the urea in our perspiration and the by-products of chlorination.

Searching though recent (2018) research in water supply engineering journals in Hangzhou, China, I discovered that their College of Civil Engineering has produced an interesting study where Escherichia Coli bacteria was killed by the turbulence of the cavitating flow through multi-orifice plates in raw drinking water, aiming to uncover the best configuration for killing pathogenic microorganisms by hydrodynamic cavitation (HC).

This researcher (Zhiyong Dong) has previously conducted similar experiments using similar multi– orifice plates with triangular, square, and circular orifice sizes, and differing numbers and layout velocities. The studies focused on the killing rate of E Coli.

It is now well known that cavitation in water can cause significant damage to propellers, control valves, pumps and impellers. Engineer designers of these moving parts are now challenged to avoid cavitation damage in studies of fluid dynamics, so as to ensure that when bubbles collapse in close proximity to metal parts they are not destroying the very design itself.

The Aqua Fuzion system designed for residential pools

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 45

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Ylec Consultants in France have broadened the variety of applications and their bubble diameters can vary from 10 micron to 200 micron, and the rate of production can reach several million bubbles per second

46 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

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“Cavitation and its damage phenomena can be enough to disrupt the cells of microorganisms.”

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For the past several decades a lot of attention has been given to just how far from sensitive parts bubbles actually collapse.

Hydrodynamic cavitation can be produced by passing a liquid through a constricted channel at a specific flow velocity or by mechanical rotation of an element (such as a propeller or impeller) through a liquid.

Cavitation and its damage phenomena – which include formation, growth and collapse of the bubbles, as well as physical and chemical reaction of shock waves and/or microjets – can be enough to disrupt the cells of microorganisms, break coliform colony and inactivate pathogenic microorganisms.

Dong’s study illustrates decisively that E. Coli were successfully destroyed. This approach provides convincing processes for the disinfection of swimming water without the need for chlorine or bromine additives.

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Cavitating jet technologies

Cavitating jet technologies (in this instance DynaJets) were investigated as a means of disinfection of gram-negative and grampositive bacteria. (Gram-positive and gram-negative refer to the bacteria’s cell wall type.)

Cavitating jet technologies were found to be very effective as a means of disinfecting gram-negative bacteria. Disinfection of E Coli repeatedly showed five orders of magnitude reduction in concentration within 45-60 min at low nozzle pressure (2.1 bar).

The power efficiencies of hydrodynamic cavitating jets were found to be 10 to 100 times greater than comparable ultrasonic systems. It is also important to understand that gases (including water vapour) in the interior of the collapsing bubbles can undergo cleavage of molecular bonds.

Volatile compounds in the bubble interior can be transformed: water vapour can be split into OH and H radicals during bubble collapse.

These free radicals can oxidise and reduce molecules in the vapour, thus ensuring satisfactory and safe disinfection in a pool or spa.

Ultra-fine bubbles

Michael Geyers’ Aqua-Gen (designed for public pools) and AquaFuzion (designed for residential pools, spas and water feature applications) utilise abundant ultra-fine bubbles.

Ultra-fine bubble (UFB) generation via the pressurised dissolution method is based on the principles of Henry`s Law, which relates to the concentration of a gas to the partial pressure. This means that more gas can be dissolved into a solution at a higher pressure.

The principle of the UFB generator is as follows: via a venturi system the liquid and the gas are mixed together, in the next step in the mixing box the gas is introduced into the water via pressurisation. In the last step the water and gas is discharged via a nozzle. Due to drastic drop in pressure of the supersaturated liquid gas solution, the gas is expelled as fine bubbles and ultrafine bubbles into the liquid.

The first and most important disinfection attribute of UFB water is the presence of the hydroxyl and oxygen radicals which permeate the pool or spa. Having experienced this myself, I exited the pool

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ABOVE: The Aqua Gen system designed for public pools LEFT: Chlorine has been the main form of swimming pool water disinfection for a century, but new methods are becoming available

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feeling “cleaner” and “fresher” and having no need to shower again because my skin was smoother with no chlorine smell at all. This sensation leaves one feeling optimistic and looking forward to the next visit, and there was no smell in the pool hall air in my experience.

Both the Aqua Gen and the Aqua Fuzion have oxygen concentrators while the Aqua Fuzion (for backyard pools) develops purer water because it is up to 3000 times stronger than chlorine as a disinfectant, and as such breaks down even small particles that land in the pool.

When one first sets eyes on such an outdoor pool it seems there is no water at all there because it is crystal clear and hence can provide a much healthier environment.

The Aqua Fuzion is capable of producing 100 million ultra-fine bubbles per one ml of water. Because these bubbles are so small they will not rise to the surface and break the surface tension. Running pure oxygen through the ozone system greatly increases the output and purity compared to ambient air type systems. The smaller the ozone molecules, the greater the contact area focused on the microorganisms and contaminants that might be present in the water; and the longer the bubbles remain in the circulation system.

Over the past four or five generations, countries including Japan, USA, Russia, South Africa, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Korea, the UK, Israel and France have developed new and different bubble generators.

In each case the objectives depend on the purpose of the technology which covers many water-based industries such as agriculture, aquaculture, water purification, cleaning, food and drink, recycling and of course swimming pools and aquatics.

Ylec Consultants in France have broadened the variety of applications. Their bubble diameters can vary from 10 micron to 200

“Ultrafine bubble generation via the pressurised dissolution method is based on the principles of Henry`s Law, which means that more gas can be dissolved into a solution at a higher pressure.” micron, and the rate of production can reach several million bubbles per second. The very small bubble size even allows injection of various gases and focuses on avoiding coalescence by keeping the energy use to a minimum.

Most importantly they are able to adjust the factors of filtration, water flow rate and water pressure rates and velocities, so as to achieve the maximum flexibility in applications and fluid type.

UFB technology has opened up new attitudes and possibilities for many industries and many essential aspects of water conservation of this most important aspect and resource of life.

Importantly, this revolution can improve the water we swim and exercise in. n Contacts: YLEC Consultants: www.ylec-consultants.com/en, or go to splashmagazine.com.au to view a video of their microbubble generation.

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Outdoor trends for the coming summer

R

ecent research undertaken by Adbri Masonry indicates that in Australia’s slowing property market, a record number of homeowners are planning to stay in their houses for longer, preferring to avoid property sales and instead will invest in home improvement projects to suit their lifestyle changes over time.

With this in mind, maximising living space by creating a seamless indoor-outdoor transition and a functional outdoor room – including the potential addition of a swimming pool – is a key trend for many Australians.

The research indicates that 32 per cent of homeowners intend to live in their property for more than 20 years, while a further 20 per cent expected to stay between 10 and 20 years. This means more than half of Australian homeowners plan to live in their current home for more than a decade.

Jason Hodges, award-winning landscape designer and Adbri Masonry brand ambassador says that people overestimate the cost and effort involved in renovating the outdoors yet it is one of the easiest home improvement projects to tackle.

“Historically, homeowners focussed their renovations on the interior of their homes, but given the relative low cost and high value that can be gained by the creation of a new living space outside, the numbers stack up to consider an outdoor investment,” he says.

“More than half of Australian homeowners plan to live in their current home for more than a decade.”

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The pool is a key element in the indoor/outdoor space

“One of the positives of investing in the backyard is that the outdoor room grows with us, as plants mature and colours start popping up. It’s no surprise that more Aussies are looking through their windows to the beautiful blank canvas of the backyard to create new living areas that will grow as our family and lifestyle does.”

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Grey is the new black

Hodges says that darker colours are becoming increasingly popular when considering design choices for pavers in backyard spaces.

“Greys, charcoals and monochrome colours inject mood and maturity to an outdoor space which conveys the luxury and sophistication of any area,” he says.

“Apart from being on trend and easier to maintain because they hide stains and spillages, dark greys are also softer on the eye than light colours which reflect the sun. This is a big benefit in Australia where we are blessed with many bright, sunny days.”

“And by painting your fences black it will actually hide your fence, while plants and flowers will pop with colour, making anything green look greener,” he says.

He says that if you want to contrast the dark grey and charcoals, then white is the perfect choice, however it’s also worth considering pops of colour, such as lime, pink or yellow, and using your accessories to jazz up the area.

“This is the chance to really personalise the space to suit your style. It may be flower pots, flowers, cushions on outdoor furniture or umbrellas that can pull together the colour theme of your garden.”

Ditch uniformity

Large format slab pavers are still proving a design favourite with random, natural paving pattern designs rising in popularity.

“The French-style pattern is really aesthetically pleasing, you can use two different sized pavers and mix them together to create an appealing, irregular visual that is distinctive on the eye,” says Hodges.

Another related trend is textured and treated surfaces, which deliver a contemporary aesthetic and interesting effect whether that be through pavers or retaining walls for flowerbeds, with the texture visually striking and adding an extra element of character. n

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Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 51

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Natural family pool wins Houses award

T

he Houses architectural awards were held recently, with the 2019 Garden/Landscape Award going to Kieron Gait Architects with Dan Young Landscape Architecture for a pool and landscape in urban Brisbane.

The most beguiling aspect of this project is the way the designers and landscapers created a natural oasis in densely packed West End. “The pool was designed for the kids, family and friends to enjoy,” says Kieron Gait. “They didn’t want any grass in the project, and we looked to link the landscape to the broader native landscapes of the hills and gullies of south east Queensland.”

The pool is constructed from formed concrete bordered with a concrete coping with a light acid etch.

Primary sanitisation is saltwater chlorination with an Enviroswim freshwater system.

High walls of face blockwork provide privacy from the close neighbours, and help give the illusion of being alone in a bush setting – with the materials providing a setting that is raw and subservient to the garden.

The garden highlights the surrounding landscape and underlying rock strata to provide a connection to place, and by utilising the slope of the site and stepping down the walls, the garden connects to the gum-tree-green palette of Mt Cootha beyond.

By placing the fencing at the entrance to the garden, the pool is viewed as a natural occurrence within the garden, is dark coloured water reminiscent of that found in a natural gully.

Jury citation

The owners wanted the pool for their kids to enjoy and for entertaining with friends

“Part building and part archaeological dig, this project is both unexpected and deeply innovative in its approach.

There is a lot of construction here: a carport and store, a terrace and pool. The skill of the designers is particularly evident in the fact that the site appears to have been deconstructed to reveal a pre-suburban landscape.

“The garden is wild and river rocks replace the typical timber deck, turf lawn or hard paving. The street

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Houses Award Winners Australian House Of The Year – Daylesford Longhouse by Partners Hill (Daylesford, Vic) New House Under 200 Square Metres – Bay Guarella House by Peter Stutchbury (Guerrilla Bay, NSW) New House Over 200 Square Metres - Daylesford Longhouse by Partners Hill (Daylesford, Vic)

benefits from this cleverly crafted insertion of the ruin/ carport hybrid. The rear private swimming pool holds the sloping site and deals with Australian pool fence regulations in a firm and creative way.

“The decorative concrete block pool wall evokes memories of Walter Burley Griffin and the natural world and also reads as an effective datum to contemplate the long views to the surrounding hills. This is a poetic solution to the Aussie suburban ‘must haves’.”

The contractor was JBS Build and the project team consisted of Kieron Gait and Anna O’Gorman. n

BELOW LEFT: The landscape referenced the broader native landscapes of the hills and gullies of south east Queensland BELOW RIGHT: The pool is viewed as a natural occurrence within the garden

House Alteration and Addition Under 200 Square Metres – House in Darlinghurst by Tribe Studio (Sydney, NSW) House Alteration and Addition Over 200 Square Metres (Joint Winner) – Brisbane Riverbank House

by Owen Architecture (Brisbane, Qld) House Alteration and Addition Over 200 Square Metres (Joint Winners) – Teneriffe House by Vokes and Peters (Brisbane, Qld) Apartment or Unit – The Bae TAS by Work by Liz and Alex (Hobart, Tas) Garden or Landscape – Whynot St Pool and Carport

by Kieron Gait Architects with Dan Young Landscape Architecture (Brisbane, Qld) Sustainability – The Garden Bunkie by Reddog (Brisbane, Qld)

The carefully located landscape and pool disguises the fact that the neighbourhood is very urban. All photography by Christopher Frederick Jones

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commercial news

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Dawn Fraser Baths, built in the 1880s, is the oldest pool and swimming club in Australia

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Asset management

Australia’s oldest pool to finally get a refurbishment The long-awaited heritage restoration work at Dawn Fraser Baths has finally commenced as contractor Belmadar takes possession of the site.

Ross Gage and Emily McNeill

Last year, Inner West Council adopted the Dawn Fraser Pool Master Plan, which demonstrated that if priority works were not undertaken immediately the pool was likely to become unsafe for public and sporting use in the near future.

The heritage restoration of the baths includes: • Replacing the pavilion including the decking; • Upgrading the lighting to improve capacity for training and competitions at night and make sure UTS Balmain Tigers Water Polo Club can remain in their home pool; • Raising the baths’ floor level to mitigate sea level rise and future-proof the facility; • Improving the entry configuration and access from the harbour foreshore; • Renovating the male and female showers, toilets and change rooms; • Providing four new unisex family change rooms;

Associations

ASSA names McNeill as GM

• Providing a new equal access toilet, shower and change room.

Council successfully obtained a $2.2 million grant from the NSW Government which – when added to the $4.5 million already committed by the Council – has enabled the urgent works to commence.

Works are expected to be completed well before the October 2020 swimming season.

The board of the Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA) has created a new general manager role and promoted national events manager Emily McNeill into that positon.

Ross Gage will remain in his position as CEO, but will be also taking on a part-time position with Carlile Swimming in Sydney.

In statement ASSA says there are numerous benefits for the organisation and its members from the changes, including the addition of a “free office” in Sydney and enhanced access to the world of big corporates and the funding potential that brings for the development of ASSA’s programs.

Additionally, Gage will be able to gain valuable organisational culture and leadership insights from Carlile director, Tim Ford, whose experience includes being a former director of Swimming Australia. He currently oversees the Carlisle operations from learn-to-swim to high-performance competitive programs.

In determining this next stage in ASSA’s development, president Wayne Pollock noted that Gage had successfully managed multiple roles in the past, notably as ASCTA CEO while managing the Swim Australia program and owning Westside Swim School.

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In Brief Georges River Council will finally go ahead with a site suitability and feasibility study for the construction of a new aquatic centre at Carss Park in Sydney’s south. Kogarah War Memorial Pool at Carss Park was famous for training a legion of swimming stars including Olympian Michelle Ford under the tutelage and half-century of management

by Dick Caine. More than 10,000 local residents signed a petition to keep the pool open, but the council said pollution was leaking into the Georges River as a result of pool’s age and ground subsidence. The council had stalled on plans for a replacement pool until the federal government chipped in $5million as long as it remains at the current site.

The Urbnsurf surfing lagoon at Tullamarine, Victoria, was nearing completion at the time of writing, as the lagoon had been filled with water, and testing, inspecting and cleaning of the 22,000 square-metre Wavegarden Cove lagoon project was underway.

Ardent Leisure has announced a $50 million injection into its theme parks, while reducing the footprint of its Dreamworld/WhiteWater World space. According to the Australian Financial Review, there would be fewer but better rides in an attempt to recapture some of its lost patronage since the 2016 fatalities on the Thunder River Rapids ride. By utilising and developing additional land on the site, Ardent could fund an overhaul of the parks.

The company has reduced its loss this year to $60.9 million in the year to June from $90.7 million the previous year.

commercial news

LTS

World first study finds school swim programs are not enough Peninsula Leisure and Deakin University have conducted a world-first study into the learning and retention of swim and safety skills and found that undertaking an intensive school swim program alone is not enough to keep Australian children safe.

The year-long study – Swim Lesson Models: Effectiveness and Impact Study – found parents who solely relied on school swim programs overestimated their child’s swimming and water safety abilities.

Furthermore, parents placed more emphasis on their child being safe around water, rather than developing technical swimming skills – both of which are vital for the overall safety of the child.

While swimming is a crucial skill to learn in Australian culture, 36.7 per cent of parents whose children participated in the study only intended to persist with lessons if their child expressed interest to continue.

Peninsula Leisure CEO Tim Gledhill says this study reinforces just how important it is for parents to ensure children are learning to swim all year round.

“While intensive school swim programs are important, they lose their effectiveness as a stand-alone, and the study found children needed to attend more frequent swimming lessons to be able to retain essential swim and safety skills.

“Eighty-five per cent of Australians live within 50km of the coast.

This study is a timely reminder on the importance of learning to swim and maintaining regular practice to ensure our children remain safe. It also highlights the need to redesign the way we deliver learn-to-swim programs,” Gledhill says.

The study found a combination of intensive school swim programs, in conjunction with regular lessons, to be the most effective mode for swim skill retention. However, it also found the retention of skills learned in intensive school programs was level-dependent.

Kate Moncrieff and Jacqui Peters, lecturers within Deakin University’s School of Education, found that while school swimming intensives resulted in an improvement of swimming and water safety skills, children in the earlier stages of learning tended to lose the skills they had gained when retested again at the end of the school year.

“Extending the accessibility to swimming lessons beyond intensive school swim programs is important to ensure all children, no matter what level, are retaining these vital skills.

“The findings have prompted us to call for a review of the State’s school swim programs to ensure they meet the development needs of Victorian children,” says Moncrieff.

BELOW: More than a third of parents whose children participated in the study only intended to persist with lessons if their child expressed interest to continue.

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Safety

Warriors lead campaign for pool safety Tracey Ayton, co-founder and CEO of Little Heroes Swim Academy for able and disabled children, is a Water Warrior and Ambassador for the Australian Swim Schools Association’s new water safety campaign SAFERWater Warriors, which is aimed at children underfive years of age.

Passionate about water safety, Ayton has just released a new book, Learn to Swim, which guides parents in teaching their baby or toddler the basics of swimming and water familiarisation in the lead up to, and in conjunction with, swimming lessons.

Ayton’s swim school also runs special swim “between the flags” programs for disabled children on Bondi Beach with Bruce “Hoppo” Watkins of Bondi Rescue supporting the event.

Her next step is to open a swim centre dedicated specifically to students with a disability.

Super heroes The SAFERWater Warriors campaign involves five superheroes who all have powers that align with ASSA’s SAFERswimming Layers of Protection messages: constant adult supervision, proper barriers, swimming and water safety skills, and the emergency action plan.

and to also make sure they are working, and being used. If that pool gate gets left open, Force will spot it and remind everyone it needs to be shut and also be the first to cheer you on when barriers are used correctly. On Force’s badge is the venerable pool fence.

Glide is really good at her swimming and water safety skills, but also knows how important those skills are and is the greatest champion at making sure those skills are learned early and practiced consistently through the year. Glide will be the one to make sure kids keep up their lessons and learn the correct behaviours in and around the water. Glide’s badge features a swimmer in the water to let everyone know that aspect of water safety can’t be forgotten.

Dash is all about emergency planning, and if something were to happen, he’s super quick to act – he knows what to do because he’s planned well. If someone goes missing, Dash will be first to remind everyone to check the pool first, and to alert an adult if anyone is in trouble. If help is needed he knows all about CPR. Dash’s badge is reminder that help needs to be close by and easy to contact, and that time is of the essence.

Learn to Swim is selling from $19.99 from book shops and www. booktopia.com.au.

Tracey Ayton with a poster for Glide, part of the SAFERWater Warriors campaign

In order to stay true to the vital messages, a “responsible adult” superhero, Yindy, watches over the other four superheroes to educate, lead and guide them. Yindy is akin to Professor Dumbledore or Yoda.

The name has been derived from Yindyamarra, an Australian first nation’s word that is often translated as respect. However, it has multiple meanings including: to give honour, to slow, and to take responsibility.

Skye’s superpower is her vision, the ability to spot situations where supervision is needed. Because Skye is a child, she’s not the one to supervise herself, but to raise awareness, remind those adults who should be supervising, to caution other children who should be supervised, and acknowledge those supervising correctly. Skye has a badge on her belt, with her symbolic all-seeing eye maintaining a vigilant watch.

Force’s special ability is the power of protection. He’s really good at making sure fences and barriers are in place to reduce the risk,

Waterparks

World’s largest inflatable waterpark launched in Bali Floating water park brand Wibit together with their authorised partner for Indonesia, PT Ecomarine Indo Pelago, has opened the world’s largest inflatable aqua park, Aqua Dreamland at Secret Bay in Gilimanuk, Bali.

The record was officially confirmed by Anna Orford, Guinness World Records adjudicator, together with Putu Artha, the regent of Jembrana, acting as a witness, and thousands of visitors.

The new park spells out the name Indonesia on the water, made from nearly 30 square metres of WibitTAG tags – totalling 177 tags – and is visible from aircraft.

Wibit has broken the Guinness World Record for largest inflatable aqua park

56 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

The different styles of water obstacles offer various activities on the water from sliding to jumping and climbing – offering fun for all ages and fitness levels. The aqua park is designed to hold a capacity of up to 600 people at the same time.

commercial news

A generous use of space and light is a feature of the design

WaterLink

Sp nTouch

The centre will be integrated with the site’s parkland surrounds Developments

Parramatta stoush over as costs split for $77m pool Two years after Parramatta’s Memorial Pool was controversially demolished to make way for the new Parramatta Stadium, the city is finally in line to get a replacement pool. However, it won’t be delivered until 2023.

The new pool plan came to life once the City of Parramatta Council and New South Wales State Government agreed to equally co-fund the project to the tune of $38.5 million each.

The winning concept design for the new aquatic and leisure centre

by Andrew Burges Architects, Grimshaw Architects, and McGregor Coxall was chosen from a shortlist of four entries following an international design competition.

The council says the design was informed by extensive community consultation. It features a 10-lane 50m outdoor pool; 25m indoor pool; learn-to-swim facilities; café; fitness centre and parking facilities.

Unique features include sensitive integration with the site’s parkland surrounds, a generous use of space and light, as well as single-level accessible entry and pathways. The design also takes into account the heritage, topography and other constraints of the Mays Hill Precinct, Parramatta Park site.

“Congratulations to the consortium on their successful submission. I’m excited to see this project progressing and I look forward to working to ensure this first-class facility is delivered for the Parramatta community as soon as possible,” says Parramatta mayor Andrew Wilson.

“I’d also like to thank Mr Sidoti and the State Government for their valuable contribution to this significant project – an aquatic centre that meets the current and future needs of our rapidly growing population.

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“Parramatta deserves a pool which caters for competition, learn to swim classes, recreation and relaxation. The commitment of $38.5 million from the NSW Government will help make this happen,” says minister for sport John Sidoti.

“The NSW Government and Parramatta Council are on the same page when it comes to delivering an outstanding all-year-round aquatic facility that gives the community what they have asked for.”

Further detailed design work will now be undertaken before the development application is lodged in 2020.

p 02 9624 8842 | f 02 9674 5115 e sales@lamottepacific.com www.lamottepacific.com Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 57

SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO

PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT

The Climate Care Certification Program is an initiative of the Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Australia Ltd (SPASA). It is the industry’s efficiency and sustainability certification program.

SPASA is proud to deliver an industry wide program to support, protect and promote the way the swimming pool and spa industry operates and strives for best practice sustainable solutions.

BENEFITS OF CERTIFICATION CONSUMER BENEFITS ü Purchase with confidence knowing that you are choosing a certified environmentally sustainable solution ü Enjoy the benefits of choosing a solution which utilises water efficiency, energy efficiency, noise reduction measures, environmentally sustainable designs or efficiency/sustainability innovations ü Reduce your overall carbon footprint whilst saving money

INDUSTRY BENEFITS ü Highlight your product/system/installation’s environmentally sustainable qualities ü Show your commitment to preserving the environment and to industry best practice ü Demonstrate your investment in the industry’s sustainable future and inspire others to do the same

THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION All Climate Care Certified products undergo independent third-party testing and/or verification to assess and report on claims being made such as water efficiency and energy savings.

Only credible and trusted local, national and international testing and verification bodies are considered by SPASA to ensure that claims being made on energy and water efficiency and sustainability are substantiated.

SPASA is proud to have appointed Smart Approved Watermark as their certification partner for water efficient products. www.smartwatermark.org

SWIMMING POOL & SPA ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA TEL 1300 021 482 WWW.SPASA.COM.AU

Commercial Feature

Australian pool technology improves Asian hydroponics

T

he Cameron Highlands is situated in Pahang, West Malaysia, approximately 85 kilometres from Ipoh and about 200 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur. At an elevation ranging between 1135 metres to 1829 metres above sea level, it is the country’s highest point accessible by road.

Considered the epicentre for Malaysia’s vegetable and flower farming sectors, the region is famed for its lush, fertile soil, cool climate, steeply farmed hillsides, tea plantations, and sprawling strawberry farms.

In the midst of this is Cameron Highlands’ hydroponic lettuce farm, which has become a popular tourist attraction since opening in 1990.

Challenges

Hydroponics is a branch of agriculture where crops are grown in water instead of soil. Depending on which of the six types of hydroponic systems are used – drip, ebb and flow, nutrient film technique, wick, water culture or aeroponic – the plant’s roots are either suspended in, flooded with or misted using a nutrient-rich solution that enables the plant to grow.

Hydroxypure inventor Nick Briscoe says that the challenge with this particular farm involved the open water races and drains, which is essentially a network of long channels where each lettuce is individually grown and fed.

“The channels were filling up with algae,” he says.

“And when lettuce gets bacteria in it during the propagation phase, it dies very quickly once it’s picked.”

A further challenge involved the lack of quality starting water in Malaysia. Domestic sewage, livestock farming and other liquid organic waste products are said to be responsible for a large number of polluted waterways throughout the country.

“So we had three challenges to address – one was cleaning up the water races as they were getting clogged up with algae, two was creating a healthier lettuce that would last longer after it was picked, and three was improving propagation time.”

Objectives

Two trials using Waterco’s Hydroxypure filtration system were set up using food grade hydrogen peroxide

(H2O2) at 35 per cent. Trial 1 was small scale with 100 crops, while Trial 2 involved a larger scale involving 16,000 crops spread out over one acre.

The objectives of the trials were: • To compare growth rate with control set; • To compare disease/mortality rate with the control set; and • To prevent algae from growing in the hydroponics channels and drains.

ABOVE LEFT: After the trials, algae growth was completely eliminated from the growing channels ABOVE MIDDLE: Hydroxypure was used successfully on the hydroponic lettuce farm ABOVE RIGHT: The lettuces’ propagation time was virtually halved and its post-harvest lifespan was increased

“The first thing that happened was that we fixed the problem in the water races, so they were all clean and free of algae,” says Briscoe. “The second significant thing that happened was that propagation went from 55 days down to 31 days.”

“Hydroxypure’s hybrid ozone technology simulates the action of the sun by generating a high-intensity wavelength of light, which in turn produces a clean form of ozone that is free of impurities,” says Briscoe.

“The natural flocculating effect that ozone has on water greatly increases the capability of the filtration system to be able to filter out oxidised contaminants in the water, leaving hydroponic water clean and crystal clear.

“Hydrogen peroxide, which is hydrogen and oxygen, does not form any by-products when you’re adding other chemicals,” he says. “This enabled us to achieve positive results on the hydroponic farm without upsetting the other growing systems.”

Contact: waterco.com.au

LEFT: The large hydroponic farm in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 59

Commercial Feature

The facility features a pool with inbuilt teaching ledges

Kid appeal at Lakelands aquatic centre

I

n designing Swimming WA’s aquatic centre – WestSwim Lakelands – global architectural firm Buchan has created an innovative and sustainablydesigned facility with a notable focus on children, while also catering for adults.

The purpose-built facility’s specially designed features include a pool with built-in teaching ledges and a changing area designed to offer enhanced parental supervision and safety.

Buchan was appointed on behalf of Peet Ltd to provide architectural, master-planning and interior design services to the project, which was completed last year.

WestSwim is a business unit of Swimming WA – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to growing the sport of swimming in Western Australia.

Buchan associate director Anna Meszaros, from Buchan’s Perth Studio, says the centre was designed specifically for WestSwim’s highly credentialed learnto-swim program, and its aqua aerobic and adult fitness programs.

The 724m2 facility includes: • A pool hall featuring a five-lane, 25 metre gradeddepth swimming pool, with specialised in-built teaching ledges. The pool is heated to 32 degrees to maintain user comfort year round; • On-deck shower facilities; • Best-practice safety in design offers enhanced parental supervision within family-orientated change and amenities areas; • Accessible facilities include a para-mobility hoist, accessible shower, change and toilet facilities.

• Reception, retail space and office facility; • Storage and state-of-the-art advanced filtration systems; • An additional 48m2 outdoor entertainment area.

The pool hall’s aesthetics reflected a coastal palette, with emphasis on a selection of light, natural wall and ceiling

60 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

The centre was designed specifically for WestSwim’s highly credentialed learn-to-swim program

colours to enhance indoor light distribution, perceived lighting levels and reduces lighting energy consumption.

Battling corrosion

Meszaros says that when selecting materials, special consideration was given to ensure noise reverberation was minimised and the pool hall’s highly corrosive indoor environment – with high levels of heat and humidity – was accommodated.

“The solution was to install a custom-designed tension member to fit the structural ceiling system and strategically position it directly over the pool to offset and diffuse the mid-high frequency reverberation,” she says.

“We also worked with WestSwim’s graphic consultant and signage contractor to further reduce noise reverberation by introducing a 3D wall mural which provided an ‘acoustic band’ at the end wall.

“This provided further acoustic balance, while adding a fitting decorative element to the space.”

Sustainability initiatives incorporated into the Centre included: • Passive solar design; • Optimisation of natural daylighting and daylight distribution; • Use of energy efficient lighting; • Water efficient fixtures; • Automated, insulated thermal pool blankets to maintain water temperature and reduce evaporation out of hours. This has the added benefit of reducing humidity in the pool hall; • Use of low maintenance durable materials; • Measures to reduce air conditioning load by minimising uncontrolled air movement between spaces with differential temperatures and humidity levels; • Insulated building envelope from the outside which is a cost-effective strategy to reduce energy; • Use of water-wise drought tolerant landscaping.

WestSwim Lakelands is located on the corner of Mandurah Road and Lake Valley Drive in the new Lakelands town centre which also includes the main street shopping precinct, library and early learning centre.

Contact: buchangroup.com.au; www.westswim.com.au

29-30 JULY 2020 Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

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new products

Getting in the mood

The Tribu Mood daybed from Cosh Living is ideal for relaxing by the pool. The lounge is opulently sized and features a rich teak frame with pleated bands made from weatherresistant and environmentally friendly yarn. Cosy cushions and backrests come in a selection of colour options.

In the early 90s, Belgium brand Tribu was a leading European pioneer of the trend to extend the home onto the terrace and into the garden, and this range is a continuation of that aesthetic.

Contact: coshliving.com.au

Quantum leap in disinfection

International Quadratics says their new Theralux Quantum AOP (advanced oxidation process) with combined photocatalytic and hydroxyl radical technology takes pool hygiene and water clarity to the next level.

It has the benefit of being used and approved by high profile industries such as hospitals and drinking water purification companies.

Smart technology simplifying pool cleaning

They say their photocatalytic oxidiser has a sterilising effect that exceeds that of boiling water and has the ability to neutralise what chlorine, ozone and conventional UV sterilisers cannot. As well as breaking down all viruses, bacteria and pathogens it also breaks down body fats and oils.

They also say that Trident Ultra increases the lifespan of expensive pool equipment by trapping and containing debris within the self-contained unit before it reaches the filter, and as the brush rotates at twice the speed of the robot, it has enhanced cleaning capabilities. Additionally, its lightweight, ergonomic design makes it easy to remove from the pool.

The Theralux AOP is designed to be installed easily into an existing set-up.

Waterco’s new Trident Ultra robotic cleaner reduces pool cleaning to a two-step process with state-of-the-art software and smartphone touch-screen control. Waterco says Trident Ultra’s sophisticated microprocessor technology works in conjunction with smart sensors to thoroughly clean the pool, regardless of its shape, size or surface type. AI traits also include enhanced navigation control and an obstacle escape mechanism.

Contact: waterco.com.au

62 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Contact: www.theralux.com.au

CONSTRUCTLAWGROUP BUILDING | CONSTRUCTION | COMMERCIAL | LAWYERS

Construct Law Group are proud to be working with SPASA Australia to provide its members current legal information specific to the pool and spa industry.

We can assist with:

Contract advice

Licensing issues

New system to aid water retention systems

Australian company Aco’s new product is the StormBrixx plastic geocellular stormwater management system. Its versatility allows it to be used in applications across all construction environments as a standalone solution or as part of a water sensitive urban design (WSUD) scheme. It consists of a single, recyclable, polypropylene body that can be assembled in a variety of ways to form an open bonded structure.

Plastic geocellular systems are widely accepted for storing stormwater but have the drawback of lacking of accessibility for maintenance – however the Aco StormBrixx was developed to address accessibility issues and to enable easy maintenance.

Dispute resolution Debt recovery

(including under Security of Payment)

CONSTRUCTLAWGROUP BUILDING | CONSTRUCTION | COMMERCIAL | LAWYERS

Level 1, Suite 6, 16-20 Blackwood Street, Mitchelton QLD 4053 Telephone 07 3139 1874 Email info@constructlaw.com.au Web www.constructlaw.com.au

Contact: www.acostormBrixx.com.au

New portable filtration cart

Waterco has released a new portable filtration cart engineered for professional pool service technicians: the MultiCyclone Ultra Vac. Waterco says it is mobile, multifunctional, easy to operate and built to last and is the perfect cleaning station for residential and commercial pool service technicians and strata pool cleaners, as well as maintenance staff tasked with keeping ponds, fountains and water reservoirs clean and healthy.

*Ask us about our special rates for SPASA Australia Members

Featuring two of Waterco’s best-selling products – MultiCyclone filter and Supastream pump – the self-contained Ultra Vac has been purposely engineered to save time, water and energy.

Contact: waterco.com.au

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 63

new products

New WinterKleen colour

Daisy Pool Covers has recently added a new colour to their WinterKleen range.

The new Tan colour was released due to increased demand for something that complemented limestone and sand coloured pool surrounds. Now Daisy has their largest ever range of WinterKleen colours with Blue, Green, Black and Tan. The Daisy WinterKleen range is perfect for those pool owners in areas of wind and debris.

Contact: daisypoolcovers.com.au

Pool cover broom

Daisy Pool covers is now supplying the first pool broom especially designed for pool covers, fibreglass, tiled and vinyl lined pools: the patented Aqua Fingers.

Aqua Fingers makes cleaning pools and pool covers easier and quicker as more surface area is covered by its high-density microfibre chenille attachment. All it takes is a quick sweep to clean curved corners, ridges, crevices and steps on smooth pool surfaces thanks to a flexible design that easily manoeuvres around tight spots and awkward areas.

Unlike rigid pool brooms, Aqua Fingers pivots and tilts its curved underbelly allowing better contact at different angles of operation.

You can even use it to clean glass fencing.

Contact: daisypoolcovers.com.au

Deck mount roller

Daisy Pool Covers has released the latest in their Below Ground range – the Deck Mount Roller.

The Deck Mount Roller is full aluminium with anodised aluminium lids and has the roller suspended inside the unit. The side of the unit can be secured down to a pit with the return allowing concrete, paving or decking to be laid up to the edge, minimising the visual impact around the swimming pool.

Synergy Eco AOP system

The Australian designed and built Waterlink Synergy range now has a new addition, the new Synergy Eco AOP system.

Waterlink says the system is designed to suit any budget for both the residential and commercial markets and the low-pressure system offers the benefits of both UV and ozone in one compact easy to install system.

Daisy says it can either be mounted up under a deck or down into the pit, giving the pool owner flexibility in how they landscape their pool area with the cost being less than half the price of the Below Ground boxes.

Waterlink says that advanced oxidation delivers exceptional water quality in any facility in a short amount of time, providing ongoing disinfection power to complement any existing chlorine system.

Contact: daisypoolcovers.com.au

It reduces combined chlorine, dramatically reduces pool hall odours, breaks down dissolved impurities such as oils and organic wastes which improves filtration, and provides added protection against water-borne pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, e.Coli, Giardia, cysts and fungi.

Contact: www.waterlink.com

64 SPLASH! Oct/Nov 2019

Main drain kits

The Aquea main drain is the complete solution for pool projects. Aquea says it is easy to install and service, and the flush-fitting lid integrates into the surrounding pool interior for a flawless finish.

The main drain complete kit includes all parts required for a new concrete pool installation, while the retro-fit lid kit is also available separately for pool upgrades and renovations, and suits many popular main drain fittings.

Protect Your Pool, Protect Your Pool, Protect Kids Protect Your Your Kids View our online video showing common pool fencing faults and how to spot them at View our online video showing common pool fencing faults and how to spot them at www.kidshealth.chw.edu.au/projects/drowning-prevention/swimming-pool-fencing www.kidshealth.chw.edu.au/projects/drowning-prevention/swimming-pool-fencing

KIH1025/0811/SC KIH1025/0811/SC

Contact: www.aquea.com.au

Full inverter heat pump technology

In early 2020, EvoHeat will launch the latest technology in their new series of inverter heat pumps. The Evo Fusion-i and Evo Force-i pool heat pumps are designed with the latest step-less full DC inverter compressors, fans and control systems – all working in perfect harmony to provide optimised heating and cooling.

EvoHeats says that with higher performance, lower noise levels, and more features as standard, the new pumps are the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly products available. Each series is also equipped with colour LCD touchscreen with wifi as standard, so pool owners can monitor and adjust their EvoHeat inverter heat pump directly from their smart phone.

Contact: www.evoheat.com.au

Oct/Nov 2019 SPLASH! 65

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PARAMOUNT IN-FLOOR CLEANING SYSTEMS THE WORLD’S NUMBER 1 IN-FLOOR CLEANING SYSTEM BROUGHT TO YOU BY POOL-WATER PRODUCTS

Paramount’s custom built in-floor cleaning systems are engineered to automatically clean any pool you design, including floors, steps, benches and spas.

Minimising maintenance and maximising enjoyment.

Aquarius Pools – Mornington VIC

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING POOL BUILDERS CHOOSE PARAMOUNT

Pool-Water Products | P: 03 9873 5055 Email: info@poolwaterproducts.com.au www.poolwaterproducts.com.au