The Cromwell Pool’s LPG boiler is being replaced with a centralised water-sourced heating system that uses the town water supply as the heat source.
Central Otago District Council is excited to have received a $100,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) towards the cost of this replacement.
This new heat pump will be utilising a new refrigerant, which has low global warming potential.
CODC Parks and Recreation Manager Gordon Bailey was pleased to see the boiler being replaced with a much lower-carbon emission option, which would also mean decreased operating costs.
“It is a unique way of heating a pool. This new form of heating will shift almost all energy usage to electricity and take heat from the Council’s street water main, which will be transferred into the pool.”
The pool will be closed for approximately eight to nine weeks from 19 April 2022 to carry out the upgrade.
“While it is an inconvenience for people in the short term, in the long term what we’re going to end up with is an energy-efficient way of heating the pool, which will be of benefit not just to the community but to the environment.”
Over the next five years, this means a carbon reduction of approximately 221 t-CO2per/year, the equivalent of the CO2 emissions stored in 3.4 hectares of established native forest.
The Cromwell Community Board welcomed the upgrade, chair Anna Harrison said.
“The Cromwell Community Board fully supported this initiative that will see significant reduction in Council’s carbon footprint in operating the Cromwell Pool.”
All memberships will be put on hold during the upgrade and people will still be able to use their swim membership at the Alexandra Pool.
Term 2 for Central Swim School will be shortened, and the swim school team leader will contact all swimmers in June for enrolments for the following term. All swimmers in the Term 1 course will be automatically held a spot.
The Council will keep people updated along the way on how things are tracking with the start date for Term 2.
