Test fills have taken place at the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre site, with two of the pools filled for the first time.
The 50-metre indoor pool and the Learn to Swim indoor pool were both filled over several days to test their capacity to retain water. Combined, the two pools hold almost three million litres of water.
The slabs for the 50-metre indoor pool and the Learn to Swim indoor pool, along with the Warm Water/Rehabilitation pool have been laid over recent months as construction continues at the site.
The 50-metre, 10-lane indoor pool will provide state-of-the-art training facilities for up-and-coming athletes, as well as accommodating swimming carnivals, water sports and recreational use.
The Warm Water/Rehabilitation pool will be ideal for aquatic therapy, gentle exercise, rehabilitation and quiet relaxation. It will be kept between 32 and 34 degrees year-round.
Work on the remaining pools, including the indoor splash zone, outdoor lagoon and 25-metre pool has also commenced and will continue in the new year.
The new centre – which will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and constructed wherever possible with locally-sourced, low-carbon emission materials – will feature extensive indoor and outdoor pool areas, water slides, splash zones and lawned recreation facilities.
It will also contain a gym and fitness centre, plus a relaxation zone/sauna/steam room and improved change rooms.
Remediation of the former aquatic centre site continues ahead more than 1000 square metres of space being returned to Park Lands.
The former pools have been backfilled using soil excavated from the new pool site.
As construction work continues, over 100 swim groups and over 2000 learn-to-swim students are using other centres around Adelaide temporarily, including the Thebarton Aquatic Centre which was refurbished earlier this year.
More than 1500 jobs are being supported over the life of the Adelaide Aquatic Centre project. The new centre will open to the public in the summer of 2025-26.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
It’s fantastic to see this milestone here at the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre – it’s one thing to see the foundations of these pools laid, but to see them full of water is a real sign that this commitment is taking shape.
This is a sustainably designed swimming centre, being built responsibly using locally sourced, low-carbon materials wherever possible.
It’s a win for local jobs and a win for the environment.
We’re creating an iconic new centre that will meet the needs of the community and visitors for generations to come – but it’s also creating jobs, with more than 1500 supported across the life of the project.
As put by Member for Adelaide Lucy Hood
To see the pools filled with water during this testing phase really builds the excitement for next summer when the pools will also be filled with locals enjoying the brand-new centre.
Thank-you to all the users of the old facility who have made the transition to other pools this year. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the brand-new centre in the summer of 2025/26.
