Everybody Into The Pool

Today’s aquatic facilities are more welcoming and inclusive

By Mary Helen Sprecher

Swimming pools are as much a part of summer as the end of school, Popsicles, and bright, sunny days. And with the worst of the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for those facilities to welcome back the crowds.

Photo: Andrew Seaman / Unsplash

Or is it? Nationwide, pools have undergone plenty of changes to become more inclusive and user-friendly—meaning they welcome users at all levels of ability. Has your pool kept up? A number of trends have been at work, and they have, overall, changed the face of swimming pools.

First, to be absolutely clear, the traditional pool—a rectangular body of water with a deep end and a shallow end, racing lanes, a diving board or two, and maybe even a slide—isn’t going anywhere. It definitely has its place in the park, and in the community as a whole. It’s a great place for conducting leagues, teaching lessons, having district-wide swim meets, and hosting swim time for day camps and other programs. And, after work hours, adults find a pool a fun place at which to socialize and relax, and a nice opportunity for swimmers to get in some lap time. 

When combined with other sports and recreational facilities—picnic areas, beach volleyball courts, and playgrounds—the traditional swimming pools can be a true community hub. But changes are afoot and should be noted. In some cases, these are driven by the need for facilities to be more inclusive.

Zero-Depth Entry

“Zero-depth entry into the pool is something we’re seeing a lot of,” says Lynne Nischwitz, Director of Landscape Architecture for The Kleingers Group. “If there are no stairs, steps, or ladders to get into the shallow end of the pool, users can walk or roll right in. The zero-depth entry is where the pool floor continues to slope upward where it meets the surface of the water and the pool deck, and this takes the place of a pool wall. It’s like a beach entry.”

Those who can’t (or aren’t able to) swim, or whose swimming skills are not strong, may find the zero-depth entry far less intimidating. However, these pools—and all water facilities—still require lifeguard staffing.

Splash Pads And Parks

Sometimes, a splash pad or splash park replaces so-called “baby pool” facilities. These features are characterized by flat surfaces, generally textured to improve footing, and often include water jets, cascading water, and fountain sprays. Because water is dispersed across the surface and runs into a drain without pooling, these features provide all the cooling aspects of a pool but replace any concern over deep water. Depending upon the type of system used, a pool can also conserve water.

Because they do not require users to be swim-savvy, splash pads and splash parks are more accessible to a broader base of users, from those who can swim to those who can’t—and from those with physical or developmental obstacles to those who want to enjoy an afternoon in the water.  

If considering this type of facility, it is essential to note that regulations can and do change. 

“There is a current safety code being considered by the Ohio State Legislature (House Bill 178) to regulate and limit the water pressure of swimming pools and splash pad features to 20 feet per second,” says Nischwitz. “The bill currently awaits further consideration in the Ohio Senate.”

On The Surface

Another consideration is the surface of splash pads, Nischwitz notes.

“Adding a special, tough-coat surfacing is an opportunity to add bold color, patterns, or logos into the design to the surface of the splash pad, creating a fun, inviting play area. The surfacing is important for slip resistance. Surfacing can be either porous or non-porous, is chlorine-resistant and UV-light stable, prevents cracking of the concrete below, and can reduce surface temperatures.”

Photo: City of Mason

When surrounded by lounge chairs and tables, the splash park area is welcoming to entire families—from those who want to play with their children or grandchildren to those who want to unwind and talk with friends. (However, it should be noted that caregivers may occasionally succumb to checking their phones, allowing children to be unsupervised. Signage should be posted reminding parents they must be watching their children at times; lifeguards—and yes, there should be guards, even in these areas—should make announcements periodically to this effect.)

Landscaping

Landscaping can enhance the aesthetic value of an area. Native, non-invasive, drought-resistant plants are always a professional’s first choice.

“Providing landscaping in the pool area is a nice way to add design aesthetics, create shade, create a buffer to adjacent uses, and create separation between pool amenities,” Nischwitz says. “Landscaping is an aesthetic way to separate a splash pad from the larger pool while creating areas for shade.”

Landscaping should be arranged so children are not encouraged to cut through on their way to the pool or splash pad. In addition to trampling plants, walking through landscaping introduces dirt, mulch, sand, and other materials into the water, which can decrease the efficacy of the filter.

Other Trends

Splash parks aren’t the only trends to be seen in current facilities.

“Municipal pool projects often seek to provide amenities and entertainment value for users of all ages. This can be accomplished fairly easily for younger children through the implementation of splash pads, slides, water tables, and wading pools. For teenagers and adults, this can become more problematic,” she explains. “Due to liability concerns, many municipalities are choosing to forego installation of traditional-style amenities, such as diving boards and rock-climbing walls for older-age grounds. In lieu of these amenities, dynamic water slides can be added, as well as a lazy river can be installed to provide users passive recreation that promotes social interaction. Elderly age groups especially appear to appreciate the inclusion of lazy rivers in aquatic design. Inflated tubes can also be included within lazy river areas to further promote its use by the elderly community.”

The space available, the total budget, any liability concerns, an understanding of all user groups, and any history of user preferences should be identified when considering the overhaul of a pool area.

Most importantly, says Nischwitz, is the involvement of professionals in pool design and construction. Anyone brought on board as part of a design/build team should have experience not only in pools, splash parks, and other water featuresbut also in working with park and rec groups.

“It is important to understand the breadth of work for potential design professionals and contractors,” she says. “Have they completed successful aquatic-facility upgrades in your region? Are they abreast of the local code-approval process and design requirements? Were their previous projects delivered on-time and on-budget? And, finally, it is important to ensure aquatic designers approach your project with a multi-disciplinary perspective to ensure all aspects of the project are considered and enhanced through the design process.”

Mary Helen Sprecher is a technical writer for the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the professional association for those who design, build, maintain, and supply equipment and materials for the sports-facility construction industry. She is also the editor of ASBA’s publication, Sports Fields: A Construction and Maintenance Manual, and is the managing editor of Sports Destination Management. Reach her at mhsprecher@gmail.com, or maryhelen@sportsbuilders.org.