slide 1: A GUIDE TO
AQUATIC
PLANNING AND
PROCUREMENT
OF COMMERCIAL AND PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS
Planning and Procurement Advice for Australian Commercial Projects.
A guide book based on frequently asked questions.
slide 2: DOCUMENT CP005/E A GUIDE TO AQUATIC PLANNING PROCUREMENT PAGE 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
The history of swimming pools in Australia and
what makes some projects diffcult to deliver
4
How do prospective owners best satisfy their aquatic ambitions 5
Why select an aquatic consultant 5
Importance of design team selection.
What are the potential pitfalls
6
When designing an aquatic centre what are the important criteria 8
What are the potential issues associated with indoor pools 9
How does a prospective owner address risks
associated with commercial viability
10
Is the expense of addressing public health concerns justifable 11
Why is the contract method thought to be an early design
consideration
12
What advice can Crystal Pools provide to owners contemplating
a DC project
13
Which types of pools are the most challenging to deliver 14
What services can Crystal Pools contribute to the
Aquatic Planning Process
14
What does Crystal Pools recommend 15
A GUIDE TO AQUATIC PLANNING PROCUREMENT
Answers to frequently asked questions
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With some 54 years of experience Crystal Pools
answers many frequently asked questions FAQ
relating to the planning and procurement of
commercial public swimming pools.
It’s a unique and frank insight on this complex subject.
Insights drawn from experience with hundreds of
varied swimming pool projects using vastly different
delivery methods.
The path to successful aquatic development has proven
diffcult for some organisations around Australia.
This information is provided to assist the potential pool
owner in fulflling their aquatic vision with certainty.
slide 3: PAGE 4 A GUIDE TO AQUATIC PLANNING PROCUREMENT Commercial Public Swimming Pools DOCUMENT CP005/E A GUIDE TO AQUATIC PLANNING PROCUREMENT PAGE 5
“RATHER THAN BEING ‘DIFFICULT TO DELIVER’ IT’S MORE
ACCURATE TO SUGGEST THE DESIGN ISSUES OF A COMMERCIAL
SWIMMING POOL ARE COMPLEXLY INTER-RELATED”
“MANY INFORMED
CLIENTS PREFER A
FAR MORE PROACTIVE
APPROACH WHEREBY
THEY SELECT AND
APPOINT INDIVIDUAL
CONSULTANTS”
The history of swimming pools in
Australia and what makes some
projects diffcult to deliver
The frst pool to use fltered
chlorinated water in Australia
was a public pool in Wickham
Street Brisbane. This was shortly
followed by the Tattersall’s Club
pool in 1924 and the YMCA Pool
in Melbourne in 1925.
All of these early pools were operated on
the principal of “marginal chlorination” with
chloramines a relatively weak and undesirable
oxidant providing the primary means of
residual disinfection.
The modern treatment of swimming pools
is widely attributed to work done in the UK
during the early 1950’s by Dr. A.T. Palin PhD
OBE with his understanding of chloramines
formation and breakpoint chlorination. Crystal
Pools was founded in 1957 and so we are proud
to claim we’ve had an active role in advancing
in the Australian swimming industry virtually
since its inception.
Half a century on it can be said that the
swimming pool industry is still a compara-
tively young and fast moving industry that
is required to contend with ever increasing
health standards environmental challenges
critical sustainability issues and cost of
ownership challenges. There is a perception
about pools being diffcult to deliver. Yet
rather than being ‘diffcult to deliver’ it’s
more accurate to suggest the design issues of
a commercial swimming pool are complexly
inter-related. They are heavily reliant upon
many intricate value judgements.
Issues such as
• tender methods
• specialised pool construction techniques
• best aquatic practice
• process treatment choices
• pool use and program needs.
These value judgements should be made
corroboratively with the potential owner.
And so the development of a successful
swimming pool is reliant upon a systematic
and well managed development process. It’s an
approach which must embrace sound technical
knowledge and practical applied experience.
When diffculties are encountered with the
development of an aquatic facility this is
invariably a direct result of inexperience
leading to inadequate communication lack of
specialist pool construction knowledge poor
consultation and inadequate cost management.
How do prospective owners
best satisfy their aquatic
ambitions
With compelling public health
and social benefts being derived
from well designed commercial
swimming pools there are now
many publicly available guidelines
and references to help potential
owners.
For example various local governments
have literature available for reference to
help identify and manage the various steps
necessary to obtain a predictable outcome.
Whilst it may be an over simplifcation we
believe a well conceived planning process
commonly incorporates four critical phases:
Phase 1 Needs Assessment Reviews any
existing assets gathers information
assesses community needs and
expectations and develops
a proposal
Phase 2 Feasibility Study
Conducts a
market analysis
assesses fnancial
viability develops a
management plan and
a concept plan
Phase 3 Design Prepares a design brief
establishes a delivery method
appoints a design team prepares
a concept design develops the
design and produces contract
documentation
Phase 4 Construction and handover.
Given the very specialised nature of aquatics
it is inappropriate perhaps even naive to
have much of the above planning fall solely
on the shoulders of the local Town or Council
Engineer. Only systematic and methodical
planning will guarantee an acceptable and
predictable outcome for potential owners.
Why select an aquatic consultant
A client may select an architect
project leader as a result of a
competitive tendering process.
In many cases the architect is
required to or they will propose
their own design team.
Such teams will commonly comprise numerous
sub consultants according to the project’s
needs. Under the architect’s leadership a
typical project team would include a structural
engineer mechanical and electrical engineer
cost planner or quantity surveyor acoustic
consultant etc.
To retain greater control over the critical
‘design’ process many informed clients prefer
a more proactive approach whereby they
select and appoint individual consultants
for specifc tasks. Given its very specialised
nature the most common example would be
the appointment of an aquatics engineer
who assumes the responsibility for all pool
water retaining structures and associated Pool
Water Treatment PWT plant. This method
also allows the client to choose an expert
“pool” consultant on the basis of experience
credentials and design capability.
Arguably the swimming pool component is the
most important service associated with the
development of a successful aquatic centre.
It makes good sense for a client to have
direct access to an accredited aquatic
consultant who has expertise with the pool
water retaining structures and the Pool Water
Treatment PWT plant. It is often concluded
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“THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
PHASE WILL COMMONLY
ALLOCATE ADEQUATE TIME
WITH SPECIFIC HOLD
POINTS FOR THE OWNER TO
REVIEW THEIR NEEDS AND
THEIR EXPECTATIONS”
“IT’S STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED
THAT AN INITIAL EOI
EXPRESSION OF
INTEREST PROCESS
BE USED TO ESTABLISH
A SHORT LIST OF
PREQUALIFIED
CANDIDATES”
that the work of other
service engineers providing
general advice and design
on electrical require-
ments general plumbing
and drainage and even
mechanical services is more
related to the pool hall
enclosure. Their services
are usually best placed
under the direction and the
management of a selected
architect.
It’s worth noting that in
by-gone days the aquatics engineer was more
commonly the team leader. In that era if
the project did require some architecture for
the design of change rooms for example
the architect was more commonly appointed
by the aquatic engineer or the owner. With
the advent of indoor leisure centres it has
become more commonplace for the architect
to be considered as the team leader. Notably
this does not always need to be the case
and owners are well advised to consider all
possible options available to best suit their
specifc needs.
When tendering for consultants be it an
architect or an aquatic engineer potential
owners should recognise the commercial reality
that there are very few accredited consultants
who are able to concentrate solely on aquatic
developments. With this in mind it’s strongly
recommended that an initial EOI Expression of
Interest process be used to establish a short
list of prequalifed candidates. With an “open”
tender process it is not unusual that a project
may attract twelve or more respondents. Apart
from the obvious diffculties in assessing this
shear number of candidates the probability of
a poor selection increases dramatically.
Potential owners should also be particularly
wary of “contractors” hiding under the wings
of an architect to pretend as bona fde sub
consultants. Whilst this tactic is a risk for
the credibility of the architect it is still a
rather commonplace as the architect is able to
steal an unfair commercial advantage. This is
because of the seemingly lower fee structure
of a contractor and potential tenderer who
also acts as a consultant. For obvious reasons
fees from contractors pretending to be sub
consultants will always be far lower than what
can be expected from an independent profes-
sional sub consultant.
Importance of design team selection.
What are the potential pitfalls
The selection of a design team
is not important it’s absolutely
critical
There are numerous references describing a
‘cost triangle’ whereby the ‘design’ component
will tend to dictate the project costs despite
only costing 10 percent of the total project
cost. The owner has a duty of care to be
intimately and actively involved with the
appointment of the best possible consulting
team. Any sensible review of the available
literature will quickly reinforce the importance
of design team selection.
Consider the following:-
“the learning curve in designing leisure buildings is both long and steep
and it is inevitable that an architect approaching these problems for the
frst second or even third time will make a large number of expensive
mistakes – don’t let them gain this experience at your expense”
From “The Role of the Leisure Architect” by Stuart Miller Miller and Associates Architects
The Leisure Manager May 1990
“...we are also conscious that all too often architecture has been designed
for the appreciation of academics a kind of architectural pornography for
consenting architects only. We believe in getting a manageable facility
frst in the knowledge that given proper attention good architecture
will always follow”.
From “The Leisure Architect” by Nigel Grayshon. The Leisure Manager May 1991
Effective swimming pool design will
commonly require an interpolation of many
competing objectives and needs.
Such needs will commonly include
• Compliance with public health and
Australian Standards
• Existence of international and state-based
Swimming Pool Guidelines
• Disabled Access Legislation
• Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
• Government Procurement Policy
• Project costs and budget constraints
• Compliance with best engineering practice
• Empirical data and plant/pipe sizing
requirements
• Manageable procurement
• Transparent and productive tender methods
• Specifc industry knowledge
• Specialised construction and installation
requirements
• Issues relating to Environmentally
Sustainable Design ESD
• Evidence of similar and successful
case history
• Specifc client expectations
• Special project and or program
requirements
• Life Cycle Costs LCC
• Risk analysis and risk management
• Modern process treatment knowledge
• Hydraulics mechanical and structural
engineering and
• Chemical treatment.
In light of the many complex and inter-related
issues it is not unusual that the technical
requirements and the value judgements which
are made by particular designers will often
require detailed discussion and agreement
throughout a design development phase. For
this reason the design development phase
will commonly allocate adequate time with
specifc hold points for the owner to review
their needs and their expectations.
To appreciate the potential pitfalls associated
with the initial “design” process it is important
to be aware that many aquatic developments
fail to produce suffcient income to meet their
annual operating costs. The very few aquatic
developments that do manage to meet their
annual operating costs often have minimal and
fuctuating returns.
Whilst it’s true that some community
swimming pools tend to struggle fnancially
there are also many references to confrm
the immeasurable social beneft that can be
obtained with a well-planned and appropriate
aquatic development.
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“PROCESSES LIKE HIGH INTENSITY MEDIUM
PRESSURE UV HAVE BECOME AN ALMOST
MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR ANY
INDOOR HEATED POOL”
“LIFE CYCLE COST PRINCIPLES ENSURE THE SPECIFICATION OF PROCESSES AND
PRODUCTS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE LOWEST LONG-TERM COST OF OWNERSHIP”
When designing an aquatic centre
what are the important criteria
As discussed many design issues
and construction requirements of
a commercial pool are complexly
inter-related. Development relies
heavily on technical knowledge
and applied experience.
Therefore regardless of the selected delivery
method the consultant or a contractor will
commonly “partner” with the client to work
through a number of competing needs and
objectives.
Some of these objectives are as follows:
• Preferably enclose the largest and most
versatile water space affordable.
• Provide practical options and client choices
consistent to the detailed project brief.
• Provide air and water quality for maximum
user comfort and appeal.
• Provide water and air temperatures
appropriate to specifc program requirements.
• Use Life Cycle Cost principles to ensure the
specifcation of processes and products that
will provide the lowest long-term cost of
ownership.
• Use ESD principles to contribute to the
projects sustainability and fnancial
viability.
• Determine plant type and capacity
according to infnite bather load pool
occupancy NSW Health requirements.
• Pursue proven water minimisation and
water conservation methods and products.
• Consider the tender and contract
arrangements best suited to the owner’s
procurement.
• Consider the operation of the facility from
the owners and the operators perspective.
• Produce timely design drawings and
complete specifcations to allow the works
to proceed predictably in a logical but
fast-track sequence.
When developing an initial concept design
the designer will also commonly consider the
following:
SAFETY
To allow for good supervision and to provide
water depths that are suited to specifc user
groups and program needs to avoid hazards
to clearly defne different areas and water
depths.
FUN
To provide fun type elements to help young
non-swimmers gain confdence and familiarity
with the water. To integrate proven play
features bubbles water sprays and jets to
maximize enjoyment level.
TEACHING SPACE
To provide areas for learn to swim and stroke
correction with easy access and suitable deck
space for parent groups.
FLEXIBILITY
To provide for diverse age groups from small
children to the elderly and the disabled to
cater for different abilities from non-swimmers
to lap swimmers to allow for competition
without adversely affecting other regular
program needs to provide areas where
specifc zones can be segregated for different
instructor groups to provide suitable and
appropriate water temperatures.
COMMERCIAL VIABILITY
To allow for fexibility of use for the potential
lease-out of associated facilities either to the
Operator or the Community to ensure that
the design incorporates both functional and
low maintenance fnishes and that the whole
complex can be run as a low energy integrated
system.
What are the potential issues
associated with indoor pools
If one of the key design objectives
is to enclose the largest waterspace
affordable. What are the issues
and risks
Many early attempts to construct an indoor
heated pool resulted in conditions signifcantly
inferior to modern pools and they were very
expensive in terms of maintenance costs.
Problems included improper illumination
poor ventilation high humidity excessive
noise and high reverberation. In addition to
these issues poor water quality often posed
serious public health concern. Now there’s
a substantial case history to confrm indoor
heated pools beneftted from advancement
through engineering and science. The outcome
though is a comparatively more complicated
and expensive building.
In part the above helps to explain the caveat
whereby the size of pool hall should be
carefully tempered by what is truly affordable.
Smart pool designers will often limit the size
of the pool hall enclosure to best suit pools
that have specifc year round uses and or
specifc water temperatures like hydrotherapy
pools learn-to-swim LTS pools program
pools and leisure pools.
To appreciate the many problems associated
with indoor heated pools it is important
to have a complete understanding of the
chlorination process. Even in moderately
loaded indoor pools it is quite common that
the rate and the type of contamination will
often exceed the reaction time for a traditional
disinfectant to perform its task. To overcome
this problem excessively high chemical
residuals are usually required to create an
adequate “reserve” or build-up that is capable
of satisfying a likely/predicted load. This is by
no means a simple or easy task. Furthermore
as reported by numerous health authorities
exposure to high chemical-levels is not in the
bather’s best interests.
Apart from any health issues chemical
smells and tastes within the pool hall and
the pool water are neither pleasant and or
desirable. Rather than be exposed to strong
and undesirable pool chemicals advanced
oxidation provides a technical solution
whereby regular super-chlorination and high
chemical residuals can be avoided. Processes
like high intensity medium pressure UV have
become an almost mandatory requirement for
any indoor heated pool.
“SMART POOL DESIGNERS WILL OFTEN LIMIT
THE SIZE OF THE POOL HALL ENCLOSURE TO
BEST SUIT POOLS THAT HAVE SPECIFIC YEAR
ROUND USES”
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“STATE BASED HEALTH CODES STANDARDS AND
GUIDELINES EXIST FOR GOOD REASON”
Is the expense of addressing public
health concerns justifable
Contrary to popular belief
treatment of a commercial
swimming pool can pose more
complex problems than those
associated with drinking water.
It’s worth noting that when each bather enters
a pool they will commonly introduce
• One litre of sweat after swimming actively
for one hour
• 50 ml of urine
• 0.5 to 1.0 grams of other organic matter
• 600 million micro-organisms including 1 to
10 million colon bacteria.
Swimming pools are inherently a captive body of
water subject to all sorts of variable conditions
and loads. These factors do not normally exist
when treating water in a single pass.
Exchange rate from the human body is typically
the largest single contributor of dirt load
other signifcant factors include
• the pool’s water temperate
• the existence of wind blown dirt
and material
• the lack of a smooth pool interior
• poor algal control
• inadequate chemical dosing
• nonexistent bather management
• poor/low quality make-up water
• inadequate design
• undersized and inappropriate fltration
equipment
• inadequate turnover rate
• deviation from best practice and
• failure to conduct adequate and
regular water tests.
It’s interesting to note that the term ‘exchange
rate from the human body’ is often used on
the basis of being a far more palatable means
of describing excretions from the human body
that include mucous including sputum urine
faecal matter dead skin body oils ear wax
and hair. Out of all these faecal matter due
to the fact that considerable bacteria resides
within the intestinal tract is widely considered
to be most common and problematic. No
wonder the term ‘exchange rate from the
human body’ is preferred.
All of the above issues can be confdently
managed with the operation of three
inter-related and interacting systems:
• An effective means of recirculating and
mixing of the dirt load and or any chemicals
that are added to the pool for sterilization
and or water balance.
• A system for the removal of particles
by fltration.
• An effective chemical dosing program.
The need for effective mixing and recirculation
within the pool basin confrms the very close
inter-relationships that exist between pool
construction and pool water treatment. These
separate services are always best provided
under the management and control of one
accredited pool contractor.
State based health codes standards and
guidelines exist for good reason. In many
cases such references are explicitly related to
government legislation whereby any noncom-
pliance removes any grounds for defence.
Ignoring the obvious duty of care there is also
ample evidence to confrm that good water
quality will encourage pool patronage and
therefore improve the viability of the whole
development.
How does a prospective owner
address risks associated with
commercial viability
Perhaps the most fundamental way
to secure fnancial viability is to
frst ensure the size of a proposed
waterspace is suffcient for the
community’s needs.
This must be done without incurring excess
which throughout the life of the development
can not be reasonably sustained.
In some cases an uninformed owner bypasses
planning conventions and conceives an overly
ambitious plan typically drawing inspiration from
another project. This approach is inevitably made
through casual visual observations.
A more commonplace method for securing
a fnancially viable future is to include the
development of specifc aims and business
objectives to attract widespread interest and
support from the local community and possible
investors. In cases where this has been done
the capital cost burden does not rest solely
with the owner potential users and/or the
local community. Examples of this strategy
include the development of commercial spas
and or learn-to-swim pools that can be
suffciently segregated and potentially become
business opportunities in their own right.
Another example identifes a possible synergy
and cost sharing with other developments
that may generate extra income. This can
contribute to the aquatics centre’s operating
costs. In its simplest form it may be the
inclusion of a retail outlet a child minding
facility or gymnasium.
It is important to recognise industry research
confrms that 60 to 70 percent of facility
users come from the recreational leisure sector
whilst only 20 to 30 percent comes from the
competitive training and ftness market.
Whilst the health therapy education and
wellness market is currently a major growth
sector it currently accounts for just 10 to
20 percent of centre usage. With an aging
population this latter market is predicted to
expand rapidly.
The most successful and viable aquatic centres
in Australia attract users from all three prime
markets by offering relevant water spaces
appropriate water temperatures and extended
swimming seasons. Financial viability is largely
predicated upon the provision of the right
waterspaces to best cater for modern market
needs and demand. It is important not to be
excessively swayed by small lobby groups who
believe that a 10-lane 50m indoor pool should
dominate the proposed development.
Arguably the most important consideration
for a purchaser is to pay far more attention
to the cost of ownership rather than the
apparent tender price. Regrettably we must
recognise that due to shortcoming in an
ordinary competitive tendering process
coupled with a typically low standard of
evaluation skills that the lowest tender
cost will commonly have the highest cost of
ownership. Procurement cost may appear a
simple criterion yet it can often result in very
poor fnancial decisions because it does not
adequately consider whole of life costs.
A prime example of the above issue is the
choice between a concrete pool with a
proven 50 year service life and a pre-engi-
neered panel pool which may have a service
life of only 25 years. Whilst the tendered
price of these two options may seem similar a
prefabricated panel pool does not provide the
same value. It is unlikely to provide the same
longevity and carries higher likelihood
of costly repair.
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE INDUSTRY
RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT 60 TO
70 PERCENT OF FACILITY USERS COME
FROM THE RECREATIONAL LEISURE
SECTOR WHILST ONLY 20 TO 30 PERCENT
COMES FROM THE COMPETITIVE TRAINING
AND FITNESS MARKET”
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“THE DC PROCESS
COMMONLY PROVIDES
A FAR LOWER
CONSTRUCTION
COST AND A
QUICKER DELIVERY
TIME WITHOUT
COMPROMISING
CONSIDERATION OF
CLIENT CHOICES
DESIGN OPTIONS
OR QUALITY.”
“WHEN REVIEWING
ANY DC TENDER
LOOK CLOSELY FOR
THE INCLUSION OF
AN EXPERIENCED AND
PREQUALIFIED POOL
ENGINEER”
“A SELECT TENDER PROCESS EFFECTIVELY
REDUCES THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
TO THOSE WHO CAN SATISFY SIMPLE BUT
CRITICAL PREREQUISITES SUCH AS APPLIED
EXPERIENCE FINANCIAL ADEQUACY PROVEN
CAPABILITY AND MORE”
Crystal Pools has excellent relations with many
accredited head contractors and is commonly
rewarded with regular opportunities for repeat
business. Regrettably there are some head
contractors operating within the industry who
try to simplify the process. This inevitably has
serious business ramifcations for the owner.
There are also cases where head contractors
have attempted to construct swimming pools
themselves and the outcomes are never
positive.
Ultimately it falls on the purchaser who has
a clear duty of care to scrutinise the whole
design and planning processes. In doing so
they’re able to carefully consider options and
extract the best value and performance from
their consultants.
What advice can Crystal
Pools provide to owners
contemplating a DC
project
Behind closed doors some
consultants will be critical of the
Design and Construct process. It
must also be said that when the
consultant is a DC team member
it is a commercial reality that their
engineering fees are customarily
far lower than when working direct
for the owner.
This difference in fee structure is due to very
signifcant differences in scope rather than
any difference in quality. For example with a
DC project there is no need for a consultant to
prepare any tender documentation. Similarly
the DC contractor is by nature well placed
to provide defnitive instructions to provide
all necessary co-ordination within the team
and most importantly to assume the ultimate
responsibility for the DC process.
The DC process commonly provides a far
lower construction cost and a quicker delivery
time without compromising consideration of
client choices design options or quality. When
operating under a DC framework Crystal Pools
will commonly offer their clients the fexibility
of having a Cost Managed System Design
CMSD. With this arrangement the client
can readily refne the project’s requirements
throughout the design development phase in
a fnancially responsible and
transparent manner.
Given the very critical
nature of having a detailed
project brief our frst
suggestion is to obtain
expert advice. To obtain a
‘level playing feld’ Crystal
Pools will often gladly contribute to the
preparation of a project brief. In many cases
a project brief requires the same or similar
schematic design as is required with a fully
designed project.
Whilst the cost of having
a project brief written
by an aquatic consultant
may seem daunting such
costs can usually be readily
justifed on the basis of
achieving a better tender
result which in turn
extracts greater commitment
from the contractor and
therefore greater certainty
for the owner.
Our second suggestion is
that when reviewing any DC tender look
closely for the inclusion of an experienced and
prequalifed pool engineer. The existence of a
formal design plan and a competent team of
subcontractors will also provide a strong clue
as to the general quality of a bid. There is
substantial case history to confrm that some
Why is the contract method
thought to be an early design
consideration
Just as cart always comes after
horse potential owners should
insist their design team provides
early advice on the different
contracting methods available
for a specifc project.
As demonstrated in the series of Crystal Pools
case history examples clients may use a
variety of different contract types for different
purposes. The contract route chosen will
dictate the extent and the type of documenta-
tion ultimately produced by the design team.
Logically this a fundamental choice that needs
to be made early in the design process.
To obtain optimum value from your consulting
team fully detailed documentation should be a
basic prerequisite. Inexperienced consultants
who promote hybrid methods and products
are commonly exposed by their preferable use
of performance specifcations whereby the
tenderer is required to assume some level of
design responsibility. This methodology worked
in the past however the industry now quotes
using an appropriate design and construct
mechanism when asked to assume responsi-
bility for work done by others.
When a consultant abdicates or shifts
any responsibility back onto the selected
contractor its a fair sign you have selected the
wrong consultant.
The type of facility being planned will have a
bearing on which contract method to select.
For outdoor pools with basic infrastructure
there may be no need for a traditional “head
contractor”. Conversely for an indoor leisure
centre the substantial building works and
associated services will usually dictate use
of a head contractor.
Most of the common contracts in use today
have specifc provisions for the safe and
effective use of Nominated Sub Contractors
NSC. This method is sometimes criticised
by traditional consultants on the basis that
it requires early consideration and seemingly
more work for the consultants. Potential
owners should carefully consider the many
benefts and the transparent security that can
be readily delivered under NSC Agreements.
First and foremost the NSC tender method
provides an owner the opportunity to review
several competing bids and to make a selection
on the basis of the submitted details. When
the head contractor selects and promotes a
pool subcontractor the owner usually has only
one option to consider. Under the commercial
pressures of the open tender system the
head contractor promotes his chosen pool
contractor often the market’s cheapest option
chosen on the belief the lowest apparent cost
will be the “winning” tender.
It is a system which inadvertently takes
away regard for any other issues that might
otherwise affect his choice of contractor.
NSC agreements and select tender process
When using an NSC Agreement potential head
contractors fnd relief from the commercial
pressure and the technical responsibility
to select the best qualifed pool contractor
for the project. Where there are perceived
diffculties in utilising a NSC Agreement some
clients have protected themselves from the
ravages of open head contracts by using a
select tender process. This effectively reduces
the number of respondents to those who can
satisfy simple but critical prerequisites such as
applied experience fnancial adequacy proven
capability and more.
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In summary what does
Crystal Pools recommend
• Use a systematic four phase planning
approach with assistance from carefully
selected experts.
• Make sure your development is appropriate
for the community’s needs. Be careful not to
incur excesses that might be unsustainable
in economic terms.
• Balance the mix of proposed water spaces
to satisfy the current and future market
demand.
• Use an EOI process to help pick your
consultants carefully.
• Take a proactive approach when selecting
and appointing your own independent
aquatics engineer.
• For the specialised pool component use
a Select Tender Process or a Nominated
Subcontract Agreement that allows you the
owner to appoint the best possible pool
contractor for the project.
• Insist on an accredited pool contractor.
• Don’t write-off the DC delivery method
until you have properly assessed its
benefts.
• Ensure you have achieved a good design
before proceeding to a purchasing decision.
• Use a transparent tendering method to
ensure value over price.
• Understand that the planning and
procurement phase is your opportunity
to minimise exposure to risk and to weed
out practices and/or operators that may
threaten your project.
STANDARD DISCLAIMER
The opinions contained within this guide to our frequently asked question are based upon the experience that
CRYSTAL POOLS has obtained over a 54 year period with hundreds of varied projects using vastly different
procurement methods. Crystal Pools does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of this information and
or its potential use. Comments and suggestions relating to this publication can be sent via our website www.
crystalpools.com.au. Crystal Pools encourages all readers to conduct their own independent research.
second-grade pool contractors will often try to
steal commercial advantage by introducing sub
consultants and subcontractors who have little
or no experience.
Beware of a tender indicating the names of
sub consultants and subcontractors ‘will be
advised’. It essentially means you’ll end up
with the cheapest they can fnd. Also be
cautious of tenders suggesting almost every
aspect and trade will be done ‘in-house’. This
is code for ‘we think there is no need for any
expert independent opinions’.
The governing principles used for other
delivery methods apply equally to the DC
method. Don’t let over ambitious objectives
and apparent low tender prices draw you into a
scheme that has such a high cost of ownership
that the project becomes an unsustainable
white elephant.
What services can Crystal
Pools contribute to the
Aquatic Planning Process
Crystal Pools are not aquatic
consultants. We are accredited
pool designers with over 54 years
applied experience on thousands of
complex commercial projects.
Commercial services offered
Engineering Services
• Condition and Engineering Assessment
Reports
• Feasibility Studies -
Issues and Options Papers
• Compliance Check and Engineering
Certifcation
• Estimates of Likely Probable Costs Budgets
• Performance Specifcations -
Tender Documentation
• Design and Construct Proposals
Construction Services
• Wet-deck soiled water collection gutters
replacing ineffective scum gutters
• New and supplementary fltered water
distribution systems
• Waterproofng joint repairs re-surfacing
concrete repairs etc.
• Structural modifcations re-profling of
pool foors disabled access ramps
• The addition of new supplementary water
spaces spas water playgrounds program
pools etc.
• Construction of balance tanks to permit
harvesting and storage of rainfall
• Backwash detention systems.
• Aquatic ft-out with modern pool
furniture and appliances.
• Choice of interior linings
Mechanical and Hydraulic Services
• Supply and installation of pool water
treatment plants
• Supply of chemical dosing systems
• Supply of pool heating systems
• Energy management systems
• Upgrade of Chemical Storage Facilities
• Wash water recovery systems
• Maintenance Contracts
• Operator Training
slide 9: For no-obligation advice at any stage of your project or to obtain
further information on procurement and planning of aquatic projects
please call 02 9875 4555 or email Crytal Pools’ Commercial Pools
Director Paul Hicken via paulhcrystalpools.com.au
A GUIDE TO
AQUATIC
PLANNING AND
PROCUREMENT
OF COMMERCIAL AND PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS