19 January 2007

Swimming pool industry sees a service revenue stream

| johnboy
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The ABC reports that the clever clogs in the swimming pool industry have realised there’s a huge service industry to be had from water restrictions.

If they can get permission to use recycled water in swimming pools there’s huge money to be had out of tanking the water out to the pool owners, where once they filled from the tap.

The one thing holding back this brave new world is that people tend to drink (albeit accidentally) the water in pools so the taxpayer would have to stump up for an upgrade to the water recycling plant. (And then there’s the minor matter that water taken from the Lower Molonglo would have to be made up from the drinking water reservoirs to maintain environmental flows in the Murrumbidgee River)

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Why the hell would you want to use recycled water to fill a pool? You’d just buy a tanker full. It’s your water once you’ve bought it from a third party provider and it costs next to bugger all.

I paid $220 for 20,000Lt of drinking water just before Chritmas for our place in East Gippsland. The guy driving the tanker reckons that nearly $200 of that would have been the cost for the tanker.

Alternatively they could price the water and let people make up their own minds

Yes, I like this one too. As long as there’s a basic survival ration at the current low prices.

Alternatively they could price the water and let people make up their own minds

That sounds like the most sensible alternative. Market forces are a wonderful regulator (sometimes).

Well they could demand the pool owners empty them out,

but I think that’s a lobby too powerful.

Alternatively they could price the water and let people make up their own minds as to what they want to do.

But that would mean the Government’s ability to play god would be reduced, so no chance of that.

And then there’s the minor matter that water taken from the Lower Molonglo would have to be made up from the drinking water reservoirs to maintain environmental flows in the Murrumbidgee River)

So really its a no win solution from the point of view of water consumption – just another government mandated impost on pool owners.

We have the technology

At the media launch, the theme of the Six Million Dollar Man was playing in the background.

The ‘pool industry’ says:

“We have the technology”

A document worth reading is http://www.lwa.gov.au/downloads/publications_pdf/PX061131.pdf

This lists Australian guidelines and other sites.
Much of this is that even class A is only to be used in accordance with what the local water authority says you can use it for. They are fairly conservative as they do not want to take responsibility if things go pear shaped. Is this recycled water at Class A or a lower level ie B or C ?

The pool domestic pool industry will become extinct if the current drought continues no matter what action is taken.

Internal spa pools are another matter and do not filter water so use far more water.

I spent 3 years in the water industry down south and heavy water users either had a swimming pool, teenage daughters or disabled (incontinent) children or dodgy leaking plumbing.

I reckon the pool people could make money by trucking in the recycled water AND selling more chemicals to make it swimming-safe. Win-win.

Specifically they’re not filtering for giardia or chryptosporidium

Which are found in pools anyway, hence the purpose of pool maintenance. The US Center for Disease Control website has some good information on this.

Oh thats what that pipe is for going up the Clyde…

engage reading mode please sammy.

The grade of water that can be sprayed on building sites is not the grade you can drink (and we all ingest a bit at the pool)

Specifically they’re not filtering for giardia or chryptosporidium, neither of which you want to cop as the result of a splash fight.

Having seen the neighbours pool regularly rehabilitated from a bright-green, mosquito infested swamp, to a sparkling blue oasis in a matter of weeks, i’d be amazed if they couldn’t work out how to safely use the output from LM. But i’m no biochemist.

The idea of taxpayers being lumped with upgrading costs to the recycling plant

I believe the plant at LM* has already been upgraded to allow bulk carriers to fill up. They implemented this for the water required at the GDE^.

* Lower Molonglo Poo-Works
^ Gungahlin Drive Extension

yeah lol i know but you can use non potable water i guess thats the thing just because you cant drink it doesnt mean you cant use it for a pool thats what I ment to say by mentioning the salt water pool.

Don’t know about you but my hose doesn’t fit a fire hydrant. What did you used to do?

I believe you applied to the ‘Department of Whoever It Was Back Then’ (late 1970’s) and they loaned you the appropriate fittings. Anyone else remember this happening?

Typsy McStaggers10:23 am 19 Jan 07

You mean I can’t carry buckets of salt water back from the beach? I can, and I will. Seriously, I think pool owners are just going to have to pay, and pay big, to get their pools filled. The idea of taxpayers being lumped with upgrading costs to the recycling plant, if only to appease pool owners, is just crazy and can’t possibly happen. I feel sorry for the pool builders but thats the reality of the times.

shauno you goose!, they add the salt to the water in those pools, they don’t ship in salt water!

yeah but what about salt water pools no probs there with drinking water

Don’t know about you but my hose doesn’t fit a fire hydrant. What did you used to do? Wave down a passing fire engine, ask the boys to fill up your pool and all sit round having beers and a barbie after?

I still remember the crazy days when you were allowed to fill your pool from the nearest fire hydrant.

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