New strategies to combat pool closures

It's not just babies and toddlers who accidentally contribute to pool closures at the Orange Aquatic Centre, it's often children who have been toilet-trained for years, according to pool manager Beth Shea.

The staff at the centre share the frustration of customers when the pool must be temporarily closed because of contamination and the team is actively trying to combat these issues.

Ms Shea said children who were otherwise toilet-trained were the focus of new signage at the pool designed to encourage parents and carers to take their young children to the toilet before, and shortly after getting into the water.

"While the parents and carers of these older age-groups believe their children are toilet-trained, we’re now focusing on getting some key messages across," she said.

"Parents of all children are being encouraged to take their children to the toilet before they start swimming, and then after about 15 minutes getting their children out of the pool for another toilet break. And then further toilet breaks as part of the day-at-the-pool routine.

"Please consider that even a toilet trained child who is having a great time playing in the pool with friends might miss some of the toileting cues they would normally pick up in another environment.

"Even the smallest level of contamination results in the same level of response from staff, and considerable additional processes overnight."

The Aquatic Centre delivers water quality in line with standards set by state health authorities and a short-term closure, while inconvenient, is the price of meeting these water quality standards, she said.

The standards can be read here.

"Any problem like this demands a multi-level approach to finding solutions. Staff have been exploring a number of different approaches," Ms Shea said.

"While insisting that babies and toddlers wear waterproof swimming nappies, and providing these nappies to families who might have come without is part of the solution, it’s also a distraction from what’s turning out to be a much broader issue."