Mount Hot Pools staff failed to detect the leakage of 50,000 litres a day from the pools until separate water meters were installed in each pool last month.
The massive leak has resulted in the closure of the popular facility for 18 weeks.
Responding to questions from the Bay of Plenty Times
Weekend about why such a major leak was not noticed earlier, Tauranga City Aquatics (TCAL) chairman Warren Banks said the leak came to light only after individual meters were installed late last month.
The meters were part of the investigation of the pools' fluctuating heat, which had created a major upset with some pool users.
"The leak until then was undetectable, because the system works on the heated salt water going from plant room heat exchanger to underground pipe work into the pools.
"If there is a reduction in any pool, an automatic make-up water supply pipe adds new water to the system," he said.
After monitoring the water meters for a week, TCAL staff were able to detect significant amounts of top-up water being added to the children's and passive pools, Mr Banks said.
"This leak has been detected at approximately 50 cubic metres, or two water tankers a day, which is why water temperatures have fluctuated."
The make-up water is not heated and enters the pools at about 14C.
Mr Banks said that temperature was not normally a problem, as it was used only for small losses of water in busy periods.
When the pools were built in the mid-1980s separate water meters were never installed, making it impossible to detect when make-up water was being added, he said.
The pools were also constructed on a sand base, making any major water leak undetectable as water was not rising to the surface but was leaching away in the sand base, he said. "When excavation of the concourse occurs, any foundation damage caused by the leakage washing away soil will be able to be inspected."
Mr Banks said such leakage put the whole pipe work and pool foundation system under pressure, and could have contributed to other pipe breaks due to the age of the piping and design of the pipe work.
"Normally separate meters are not designed into pool facilities, but following this experience we have also had meters fitted to Baywave TECT Aquatic Centre pools this week," he said.
The estimated $1 million to 1.5 million cost of repairs will be paid for from depreciation reserves funded by ratepayers, and the closure could cost the council pools operating company as much as $700,000 over the 18 weeks.
Mr Banks said replacement of pipe work and filtration and heating systems were planned for as part of the Hot Pools Redevelopment project.
This work had not been actioned due to project approval hold ups, and the recent resource consent decision which was now being appealed, he said.
50,000 litres loss daily at Mount Hot Pools
Mount Hot Pools staff failed to detect the leakage of 50,000 litres a day from the pools until separate water meters were installed in each pool last month.
The massive leak has resulted in the closure of the popular facility for 18 weeks.
Responding to questions from the Bay of Plenty Times
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