A legacy for future generations
Lee Chapel Primary School, Basildon (Essex, UK)
"Whether specifying or installing, Hydrospec only recommends Waterco products
due to their durability and pioneering design features."
says John Cheek, managing director, Hydrospec.
• Primary school £1.6million swimming pool after years of fundraising
• Children enjoy pristine water thanks to Waterco's filtration products
• One teacher leaves a legacy that will benefit future generations
Setting: A teacher with a dream to see children swimming from an early age
For the head teacher of Lee Chapel Primary School, Sue Jackson, ensuring primary school pupils were able to swim from an early age was a lifelong ambition. She was determined no student should ever leave her school frightened of the water.
When Sue first joined Lee Chapel back in 1999, only Year 6 children were able to go swimming, by which age some had already developed a phobia and refused to participate. She lowered the age at which children started attending lessons, but dreamed of opening a pool on site so pupils could learn from as young as four.
Challenge: Finding the funding for a 25m x 11m commercial indoor swimming pool
Following countless rejections for government and local authority support, the school community began fundraising in earnest. “It was the hardest thing we’ve ever tried to get money for. Normally for every ten bids we submit, we get eight rejections. For the pool, it was higher,” Sue says.
In 2017, the school finally reached its target, engaging the services of commercial swimming pool specialists Gunton Swimming Pools and Hydrospec Engineering who have worked as a partnership for over 30 years. The brief was to deliver a brand new, fully tiled 25m indoor school swimming pool that could be enjoyed by pupils for years to come.
Solution: Turning a dream into reality with Hydrospec and Waterco
When it came to choosing the filtration equipment, Hydrospec immediately turned to Waterco products. “Whether specifying or installing, Hydrospec only recommends Waterco products due to their durability and pioneering design features – and has done so for many years,” says John Cheek, managing director, Hydrospec. Waterco partnered with Hydrospec to supply two SPDD1600 nozzle commercial filters with one Dual Pressure Gauge Panel, one Hydrostar Plus 7.5HP Commercial Pump and six Commercial Supa Skimmers.
Waterco’s digitally controlled filament winding machines faultlessly wind in a three axis configuration,
producing continuous strands that create a vessel with flawless consistency and superior quality.
Micron SPDD filters incorporate a patented nozzle plate system which
promotes uniform water flow when filtering and backwashing.
Hydrostar Plus pumps are high performance corrosion resistant thermoplastic pumps,
purpose built for aquatic facilities, water parks and large commercial swimming pools.
Nozzle plate filters were used over the more conventional lateral commercial filters in order to produce a better standard of fluidisation and sanitisation. The filters can be used with a combination of in-depth filtration techniques, and a variety of media, to provide everything from sediment removal to the elimination of minerals and odours
from pool water.
“The pool’s flow rate is 100m³/hr/m² and the backwash rate is 30m³/hr/m², which is perfect for pristine filtration and to ensure complete fluidisation of the filter bed when backwashing,” John explains.
The filter media used is Waterco’s EcoPure recycled glass media, which removes 30 per cent more pollutants than sand media, is less susceptible to bio-fouling, and reduces chemical treatment costs.
Ecopure glass has undergone specialised heat treatment process,
which reduces degradation and therefore lengthens its life span.
“EcoPure Glass media is a high qualityrecycled glass that is fast becoming the preferred choice of many installers when looking for an alternative to conventional sand,” says Tony Fisher, managing director of Waterco Europe.
Conclusion: A brand new £1.6 million swimming pool to benefit pupils for years to come
The school’s brand new £1.6million, 25m x 11m indoor pool was finally opened in July 2017 by local MP Stephen Metcalfe – much to the delight of the fundraising committee.
Thanks to Sue’s initial vision and the determination of the entire school community, pupils now have weekly swimming classes taught by experienced teachers and brand new safety equipment. The school has also secured a deal with swimming school Aqua Aims to hire the facility outside school hours, which will cover all maintenance costs.
“Together with parents and pupils we have achieved something truly amazing that will benefit thousands of Lee Chapel pupils for years to come,” says Sue.
www.leechapel.essex.sch.uk
www.hydrospec.co.uk
www.guntonpools.co.uk
www.waterco.com
Download lee-chapel-primary-school.pdf