The Clutha District Council has launched an independent review of the water heating system at Balclutha's swimming pool in a bid to resolve water temperature issues.
Residents were left without swimming facilities for 18 months while the Balclutha Centennial Pool underwent a $4.2 million upgrade, but heating issues have plagued the pool since it reopened last September.
Several South Otago parents recently contacted the Otago Daily Times with concerns about the water temperature.
Council corporate services manager Alan Dickson said that although a reasonably consistent temperature had been maintained at the pool over the past six weeks, this had not been the case at other times this year.
The refurbished boiler had been working well, but there had been intermittent problems with the system that transferred heat from the boiler to the pool.
The council had received half a dozen complaints about low water temperatures, particularly in the leisure pools, over the past six months, he said.
The main pool was usually set about 28.5degC. The leisure pools were an extension of the main pool, receiving an extra boost of heat as water entered, and generally operated at about 30.5degC.
''Therefore, any issues with water temperatures unfortunately affect both the main and leisure pools.''
The pool was closed for two days in October when the main pool temperature dropped to about 25degC.
''Since then, the main pool has maintained a warmer and more consistent temperature around the 28.5degC target,'' he said.
However, the council had initiated an independent review of the design and construction of the water heating system to ''pinpoint exactly what the problem is and what we can do to remedy it''.
He said that, despite the issues with water temperatures, it had been a very busy year at the pool, with more than 42,000 patrons in the first 12 months of operation since the upgrade was completed in September 2012.
The last full seasons of operation were 2009-10 and 2008-09, when the pool attracted 34,245 and 32,006 patrons, respectively.
Although the overall feedback was that the refurbished pool looked great and was an asset for the district, it was ''obviously unpleasant and frustrating'' for pool users when issues of water temperature arose.
The pool was closed at the end of February 2011, when mechanical problems with the boiler arose. It reopened last September, eight months later than planned due to delays during the facility's upgrade.
Dunedin company Lund South Ltd won the $3.5 million contract to upgrade the pool, the cost being increased to $4.2 million, to include the bulkhead and therapeutic pool, for which the community raised $170,000.
