Water Campaign™ case study

In 2006 Hobsons Bay City Council began redeveloping the existing Altona Leisure Centre into what is now known as Bayfit Leisure Centre.

The original centre included swimming pool and gym facilities.

In the centre’s redevelopment three water conservation initiatives were included as part of a complete Ecologically Sustainable Design (ESD) package.

The collection of stormwater for reuse in the centre’s swimming pools was the initial component of the project.

In an Australian first, stormwater is collected and stored from the rooftop and surrounding landscape and sent to the existing 25-metre lap pool, which has been converted into a stormwater storage tank.

The collected water is treated with chlorine and then used for topping up the Centre’s new swimming pools.

Rainwater has low levels of chemical concentrations, total dissolved solids and salts, requiring a lower level of treatment than potable water in order to meet health and safety requirements.

Waterless urinals, AAA rated showerheads and dual flush toilets were installed throughout as the second phase of action. The last water conservation component is the recycling of all backwash water, which is treated and reused for toilet flushing, concourse washdown, garden irrigation and irrigating the adjoining golf course.

Educational materials are currently being developed on the project, including signage and a video to play on TV screens in the building. The video will document the construction of the facility with a series of images, including the conversion of the former swimming pool into a stormwater tank.

The project demonstrates the importance of water conservation at a site that traditionally consumes a high amount of water, using innovative measures that are applicable to the wider leisure and aquatic centre industry.

Community leadership

This project demonstrates Hobsons Bay City Council’s commitment to the sustainable use of resources with significant water savings to the community.

It highlights the immense benefits that can be obtained by thinking creatively about the potential re-use of existing buildings when redeveloping.

Social benefits

This project continues Council’s high level of service and amenity to its community by providing a swimming pool that uses water efficiently and sustainably.

Further environmental benefits

As part of the ESD package the facility upgrade also incorporated energy conservation measures with the installation of appropriate lighting, sensor control and use of heat exchangers to withdraw heat from water being backwashed to the air conditioning system.

By finding a use for the old pool, which would have otherwise been demolished, the environmental impacts of demolition waste going to landfill were greatly minimised, also reducing the embodied energy associated with purchasing and installing a new water tank.

Discovering that the capacity of the converted swimming pool water tank was greater than initial calculations was an additional benefit. Using the water balance tank surrounding the existing pool increased its capacity from 270 kilolitres to approximately 350 kilolitres.

Bringing all stakeholders together from the outset, including Council, the designers and the leisure centre management, allowed clear lines of communication, expectations and input into the delivery of the project.

Scheduling weekly project meetings with representatives of all stakeholders ensured that the project was controlled and that different perspectives could be communicated and problem solved.

As a result, expectations of all stakeholders were noted and addressed, and decisions were made with the knowledge and input of all parties involved.

By delivering the project in a number of stages, the services of the swimming pool and gym were kept open to customers. This meant that Council was able to continue to deliver its services to the community and the customers did not migrate to an alternative and potentially competing swimming centre.

Integration is important to find the best solution for facilities management. This project formed a combination of water and waste solutions, which complimented the other energy initiatives onsite.

Consider the level of treatment required, ensuring water is ‘fit for purpose’. There are limitations with the reuse of backwash water due to the presence of body fat. A high level of treatment is required to remove the body fat from the backwash water in order to reuse the water in the pool.

Because of this Council decided to treat the water to a lower level and use it for toilet flushing, concourse washdown, garden irrigation and irrigating the adjoining golf course.