As summer kicks off, it is worth remembering that private swimming pools in New York State are licensed and inspected by the Department of Health to help protect bathing public from disease transmission, ensure pool maintenance is upheld, and provide safe recreational environments.
The shape and size of a pool’s waterline is of critical importance when building it, whether that pool be rectangular, oval, or round. Not only is its shape essential to function and aesthetics but longevity too – with rounded edges offering less surface area exposure while not exposing as many joints than straight ones.
Fiberglass pools are manufactured in controlled factory environments to ensure consistent quality control and wall thickness, and allow the integration of materials during manufacturing for stronger and more durable pool shells. On the other hand, concrete pools must be built entirely on-site using steel reinforcement (rebar) framework to form the pool shell, then filled with gunite or shotcrete concrete mixture to complete construction.
Safety should always be of primary concern when designing and building public swimming pools, including meeting all applicable state and federal standards for safe use. Furthermore, maintenance practices must minimize risks related to disease transmission such as proper water chemistry management, disinfection protocols and monitoring.
North Sydney boasts an Olympic-grade outdoor swimming pool built for the 2000 Olympic Games, giving visitors access to swim in the same waters in which Ian Thorpe and other world-class swimmers performed during those Games. Visitors can swim here all summer long – memorial Day to Labor Day.
As one might imagine, the pool is at the center of any park; as well as housing cafes and saunas within its walls. During summer months it becomes popular among families looking for respite from heat wave conditions as well as lap swimmers looking for relief.
As picturesque as Sydney pools are, their history can often go overlooked. An Australian academic has created an online resource documenting their social, cultural, and architectural significance; she maintains both a blog and Flickr account with plenty of images; however these resources don’t get updated very often so finding real time information on them may be hard. However the most comprehensive source is Marie-Louise McDermott’s dissertation; this comprehensive work also covers book publication on this subject and should definitely be checked out if you want to discover more of the history behind these amazing sidney pools!