Tinwald pool will open at 8am from Monday 10 January to accommodate lane swimmers while the EA Networks Centre’s main pools are shut for scheduled maintenance.

The Tinwald outdoor pool will be open for lane swimmers from 8am until 9.30am, daily. Swim school holiday programme swimmers and squad swimmers will use the pool from 9.30am to 12.30pm and then it will be open to the public until 8pm.

The main pools at the EA Networks Centre will close for three weeks so tiles can be replaced in the swimming and changing areas, and for other important maintenance work.

The pools are operated by the Ashburton District Council and Community Services Group Manager Steve Fabish said the Tinwald pool was opening earlier at 8am so lane swimmers could continue to enjoy their fitness time in the water.

“Then we will have our swim school and swim squad sessions, and in the afternoon members of the public can enjoy their time. We have activities for kids planned every day from 1pm until 3pm, including some inflatable fun.

“The pool’s temperature has been raised to 28 degrees Celsius, which is excellent for an outdoor pool. These past hot days have resulted in lots of people heading over for a swim, which is great.”

A My Vaccine Pass is not needed at the Tinwald pool.

The facility has two pools – one 25 metres long and 1.2 metres deep, and a smaller shallower pool about 13 metres long for smaller children to play in. A wall in the middle divides the two pools.

While the pools are shut at the EA Networks Centre, the gymnasium and stadium remain open for use.

“We have to drain the main pool to repair and replace broken tiles, and we will be replacing the tiled flooring in the men’s and disabled changing rooms. There is also important maintenance to do on the pumps and filters that handle water in all the centre’s pools.”