Leisure DB State of the UK Swimming Industry Report 2024

ASK THE EXPERTS

Equipment & chemicals “Do shop around to get the best deal, but don’t just look for the cheapest chemicals. Your water will differ, hard or soft, depending on your area and this will impact the chemicals you need. “Store your chemicals properly, handle them safely and ensure each pool team member has their own PPE that fits properly and is kept clean. “I’d also urge contractors to be more responsible: too often, they come on-site and don’t wear their own PPE, which gives licence to time-pressured facility staff to not wear theirs if they’re dashing between tasks. That could be dangerous, as could not servicing or maintaining equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions. If a digital pool test kit isn’t regularly calibrated, for example, it will give you incorrect readings.” Contractors “Finally, with so many pools closing, we’re seeing fewer commercial pool maintenance contractors in the market now. Many contractors now specialise in domestic pool maintenance. That isn’t immediately an issue, but you should do your research into who you’re working with.”

“Take school pools, for example. Many are built to domestic specifications, with small filtration systems and hand-dosed chemicals, because they’re only used for a few hours a day. But what happens when the school starting letting the pool space to drive additional revenue? “Suddenly user numbers go up significantly and the filters and dosing system can’t cope. Water quality goes down, germs aren’t killed, changing rooms are dirty… The school’s reputation slips. “It’s fine to maximise the profits from your pool, but not at the expense of water quality. “It is possible to retrofit, but while a proper dosing controller might cost just £9k, digging up the poolside to lay new pipework and filters can cost £20k–£200k. So, think long-term from the outset. “The same goes for your plant room. These are often very small to maximise member-facing space, but what happens when you need to replace a filter and the plant room door isn’t wide enough to get it out? “Designing things well and with foresight saves money in the long run.”

Many school pools are built to domestic specifications; they struggle to cope with the additional usage if the pool is let out

It’s fine to maximise the profits from your pool, but not at the expense of water quality

Always over-spec when designing a pool to allow for future change of use. Retrofitting will cost a lot more!

Water quality is key to pool safety and reputation. Make sure your filter and dosing system are adequate for your pool.

“The alternative is to call out a contractor, racking up costs for what might actually be a simple task. Even worse if they’re brought in to rectify a mistake. “In my experience, a shortage of in-house expertise, leading to a reliance on external contractors, can increase operational costs by 70 per cent.” Team-wide SOPs “Speaking of mistakes, it’s vital that all staff – not only those responsible for the pool – know what to do in case

of an emergency. Embed a clear pool management plan for both standard and emergency situations. “It’s worth all operators following Pool Water Advisory Group guidance, which is up-to-date, relevant and helps operators comply with the law and best practice.” Design “Always over-spec when designing a pool. Design for maximum possible load to allow for future change of use. Retrofitting will cost a lot more!

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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024