Cowra Aquatic Centre reopens today (7 January) following enormous recovery efforts from the November floods. Photos: Cowra Council.
Cowra Aquatic Centre reopens today (7 January), just in time for residents to enjoy a summer splash in its sparkling new waters.
The public pool was among the most heavily impacted services when Cowra was inundated by major Central West flooding in November, according to Cowra Council manager services Philippa Childs.
Ms Childs said the Council was aware of the impact the loss of the public pool had on residents during summer.
The Cowra Pool as it was in October 2022 – before the floods.
“It really is the centre of the community this time of year,” she said.
“I think everyone is excited; in particular, we have a number of user groups, including a very active swimming club that uses the pool just about every day.
“We also have what I believe to be the largest [Aqua] MIPS group in the Central West and I know they’re really looking forward to getting back into the water.
“I think most people have been travelling to Grenfell [Aquatic Centre] in the interim, which is about 40 minutes away.”
The Aquatic Centre was no longer the most appealing spot for a dip following the devastating Central West floods in November.
Ms Childs said the pool was the last of the town’s services to come online due to the level and nature of the damage, which included inundation of the underground pipes and electrical switchboards.
“Our priority was to isolate the chlorine system and remove all the chemicals that could’ve been an environmental hazard before flood waters hit,” Ms Childs said.
“This was achieved by Council staff with much-appreciated help from members of the Cowra Amateur Swimming Club.”
The pool pumps and chlorine system were safely disconnected and all tools and equipment were secured in place or moved to higher ground.
Plastic pool grates, pool blankets, the pool fence and various pieces of specialised equipment lost to the flood have been replaced.
The pool has been drained, scrubbed and pressure washed in accordance with the NSW Health guidelines for public swimming pools before being refilled and undergoing the requisite testing period to ensure water quality was up to scratch.
The herculean effort is complete and the pool is set to open at 8 am, providing opportunities for swimming education, exercise, physical and mental therapy, socialisation and leisure.
The 2022/23 season will also see the introduction of the Cowra Aquatic Centre Swim School Program, offering group swimming lessons for children aged six months and over.
Unrecognisable. Due to its position close to the Lachlan River, the Cowra Aquatic Centre was among the town’s hardest hit spots when flooding hit and the Wyangala Dam overflowed.
Ms Childs said Cowra overall had recovered well from the floods.
“If you were a tourist passing through town and hadn’t heard of the floods, you might not even know we’d been hit,” she said.
“The caravan park got flooded, that’s back up and running; many playgrounds were flooded, they’re all back; our sports field is back online.
“There’s still a lot happening in the background, like damage to some of our underground irrigation systems and water pumps, but all services are up and running.
“The pool is the last of them because it’s right on the river and was most significantly damaged. We’re so happy it’s now back.”
Cowra Aquatic Centre opening hours until 26 February are:
- Monday 6 am to 8 am and 10 am to 8 pm
- Tuesday 6 am to 8 am and 10 am to 6 pm
- Wednesday, 6 am to 8 am and 10 am to 8 pm
- Thursday, 6 am to 8 am and 10 am to 8 pm
- Friday 6 am to 8 am and 10 am to 8 pm
- Saturday 8 am to 8 pm
- Sunday 10 am to 8 pm.
For more information on the Cowra Aquatic Centre Swim School Program, contact coordinator Charlotte Forester at [email protected] or 6340 2150, or visit the Council Page or Cowra Aquatic Facebook for more information, including pricing.
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