Upgrade soon for Whanganui East pool

The costs of upgrading Wanganui East pool won't make as big a financial splash as first thought.

The costs of upgrading Wanganui East pool won't make as big a financial splash as first thought.

After an assessment by a specialist aquatic consultancy firm, the project will now be handled in one stage and for $100,000 less than originally estimated.

When the Whanganui District Council committed to getting he ailing complex refurbished, it was considered to be a two-stage project costing $365,000.

The original intention was to undertake the work in two stages at a total project cost of $365,000, funded over a five year period.

Council agreed to budget $75,000 of capital expenditure per year for five years. The stage 1 works was to start during this winter using the funds allocated for the first three years within the final stage using the $150,000 balance.

But after scoping the project, Watershed has developed a one-stage solution that will prune about $100,000 off the original estimate and have the job done in time to open the pool for summer on December 1 this year.

The first stage was to fix structural concerns of both pools at Wanganui East with the final stage involving the installation of a fibreglass membrane to both pools. The tender for this work went to market last month.

The Wanganui East Pool Trust is also involved providing outdoor furniture, shade sails and a new diving board.