"I have read the report and recommendations. Very clear and super impressed with the level of detail"
Peckvonhartel Architects.
Peckvonhartel Architects.
Why Hydrautech?
We offer expert, independent design and advice based on years of experience and a focus on improving every project. We interrogate the details, we test our projects, we measure our results and we always focus on the needs of our client. We base our designs and advice on empirical data and verifiable independent research - we don't believe everything we hear. We implement the most suitable and robust technology that best suits the project. The most important member of our team is the client. |
Understanding Australian and International Pool Standards
There are no formal Australian Standards for Public Swimming Pools that reference the fundamental requirements of pool design for large scale public facilities, namely pool turnovers, plant flow rates, water distribution and bather loads. On this basis, Australian States have their own guideline documents that refer to International Standards in addition to their own guideline values. Hydrautech adopts the best possible standards for the design of pool water treatment systems including the internationally accepted standard DIN 19643-1. |
Don't have a fully automated pool plant?
As standard for large aquatic facilities, we design pool water treatment systems that operate automatically, especially the inclusion of automatic backwashing. An automated pool water treatment system can achieve the highest possible standards of energy and water efficiency when integrated with a rainwater harvesting system. Time and flow control of the pool water systems can also conserve energy and water (evaporation) by reducing flows out of operational hours. |
How important is the location of the pool plant?
Very important. The most important ESD consideration for any new aquatic building. All other ESD initiatives combined (solar, heat pumps etc) will likely have less impact on the energy consumption of the building compared to simply how the pool plant is located relative to the pool level. Consider the image (right). The difference in location can result in significant savings. Case Study: St Albans Leisure Centre. Aquatic Engineering by Hydrautech. Conventional design (not adopted) 1,005 m3/hr combined over 50 year building life: 23,004mW = $6.4m at energy unit rate at the time of construction. Hydrautech design (as installed) 1,005 m3/hr combined over 50 year building life: 13,802mW = $3.9m at energy rate at the time of construction. Minimum $2.5m saved. |
Still using CO2 for pH correction?
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is traditionally used for the pH correction of pool water, however CO2 can be hard to manage and expensive. Adding CO2 increases the total alkalinity of the pool water which requires the addition of an acid to reduce the alkalinity back to acceptable levels. The process of adding acid to the water is usually a manual process that can involve the handling of dangerous chemicals - so all things considered, the use of CO2 can actually be dangerous. Systems designed by Hydrautech for larger facilities don't require CO2 and don't require manual handling of dangerous chemicals. |
Considering a Modular Pool?
Modular pools can be a great option for events where a permanent pool(s) may not be available or practical to build. Hydrautech has designed projects featuring modular pools and we support this technology - but modular pools may not be the best option for every project. Contact Hydrautech for a complete, fact based and impartial comparison between the available pool technologies in the commercial aquatic industry. Image (right) 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships Melbourne. Two modular pools constructed in Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Area (tennis stadiums). The pools were disassembled and the venues returned to their original function after the event. |
Need the Best Pool Water Quality in the World?
Melbourne's own Ritz-Carlton Hotel at the west end of Melbourne's CBD provided a brief that simply stated a requirement for the "best pool water quality in the world". Hydrautech designed pool water treatment plants for the project featuring ceramic membrane filtration technology and set a new standard for pool water treatment. Hydrautech can design a pool water treatment system to any standard (and budget), from the most basic cartridge filter to the most advanced automated membrane system. Image (right) Ritz-Carlton Hotel Melbourne. Main pool water treatment plant. |
Which Pool Filtration is Best?
There can be very little difference between filtration technologies with respect to water consumption and water quality when the pool water treatment systems are designed correctly and all the required operational parameters are considered. For example, any comparison should consider the required dilution of 30 litres per bather and the need to backwash precoat media after every faecal incident (code brown). Contact Hydrautech for a complete, fact based and impartial comparison between the available pool technologies in the commercial pool industry. |
Concerned about pool tiling?
Pool tiles provide an excellent surface cladding for swimming pools that is both aesthetically pleasing and fully compliant with respect to slip resistance and contrasting colours. Pool tiles provide a robust and durable surface when designed with a thorough understanding of all the fundamental requirements to ensure a successful installation. Contact Hydrautech for a copy of our White Paper prepared on this topic. |
Heading towards Carbon Zero? Have a No Fossil Fuel policy?
Hydrautech provided the Aquatic Engineering for Australia's first all-electric 6-Star Greenstar Aquatic Centre. St Albans Leisure Centre in Melbourne represents the cutting edge of aquatic (and building / services design) and provides the entire heating demand for the facility without the use of fossil fuel based heating systems. Aquatic Engineering design by Hydrautech features passive pumping systems, complete automatic operation including automated dry chemical dosing, heat recovery, rainwater treatment and flow control systems. https://new.gbca.org.au/case-studies/building/brimbank-aquatic-and-wellness-centre/ |
Still manually handling your dry chemicals?
You may have a multi-million dollar pool water treatment system at a large public aquatic facility and you may be responsible for the pool water quality at your facility - but you still manually load dry chemicals into the pool - this really isn't acceptable. Tipping large quantities of dry chemicals into the wet deck or the balance tank out-of-hours is a thing of the past when your pool system is designed by Hydrautech. We design systems that avoid manual lifting of dry chemical bags and automate the mixing and dosing of dry chemicals into the pool system(s). We don't simply upsize domestic to commercial, we design commercial systems for commercial projects. |
A World First - Heating from Treated Sewage at
Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre Hydrautech provided the heating upgrade design for this unique project. Heating is provided by two independent systems; water-to-water heat pumps and gas-fired boilers. The heating source can be changed according to supply agreements and service tariffs. The source water for the heat pumps is treated effluent from the nearby sewage treatment plant - yes seriously and it works brilliantly! Want to see things get complicated? Check out the schematics below.
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Greenery for Aquatic Centres
It's not all about the engineering. Some modern aquatic facilities may seem a little sterile on account of their hard surfaces and the hint of chemicals. Improve your pool environment and your ESD credentials. Don't just do the smart things in the plantroom - ESD doesn't stop with the equipment. The pool itself can be the best demonstration of how to be green. |