JUGGLING the needs of all user groups at the Goulburn Aquatic Centre's indoor pool has posed a challenge, but council staff were this week confident of a workable solution.
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Everyone from lap swimmers, the general public, learn to swim groups, the Swimming Club and other sporting clubs are catered for in the lane allocation plan posted at the facility.
The 30-metre pool opened at 6am on Monday, just one day after the 50-metre outdoor facility closed.
By yesterday afternoon the pool was abuzz with children learning to swim.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council's facilities manager David Rayner said he had included suggestions from the community group lobbying for the pool's re-opening in the plan, and had tried to accommodate everyone.
However, the number of learn to swim lessons will be somewhat restricted.
"Ideally we would like to allocate more lanes for this but we can't pull them out of thin air," Mr Rayner said.
The pool will remain open indefinitely but if Goulburn's total water storage falls below 20 per cent (it is currently 33pc), it will automatically close in line with a council resolution last month.
"The pool uses 17,000 litres of water a day but we are optimistic of reducing this significantly through measures such as avoiding wash-downs of the pool surrounds with hoses and using the on-site tanks. We have also carried out maintenance on pipes to reduce water losses," Mr Rayner said.
Staff have also painted the facility, ground back and resealed tiles and repaired expansion joints that may have been leaking in preparation for the opening.
But a planned $400,000 upgrade has been shelved for the time being. Mr Rayner said council believed this was not enough money to undertake the work needed.
While he could not estimate a figure, he said the upgrade was a long-term project on which council had to determine a direction and decide how much money should be spent.