The Olympic Pool at the University of Alicante Reopens After Two and a Half Years

The University of Alicante has a pool again two and a half years after its closure. The facility, located in the sports complex of the San Vicente campus, will be operational again this Monday, June 9, after completing improvement and structural renovation works.

The UA pool was closed in October 2022 after the presence of the 'Pseudomonas' bacteria was detected, leading to a preventive closure of the infrastructure for health reasons. In May of the following year, new analyses identified amoebas in the water, resulting in sanitation and improvement works.

Thus, the "most extensive" structural intervention carried out during this period has allowed "to solve the problem definitively," through a renovation of the facilities aimed at ensuring maximum safety standards, health, and efficiency.

The reopening follows confirmation, communicated to the Department of Health, of positive results in water analyses, confirming the suitability of conditions for public use.

The Vice-Rector for Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Occupational Safety, Salvador Ivorra, highlighted that "the intervention has been designed from a rigorous and efficient technical approach, prioritising sustainable solutions over more costly proposals that did not provide substantial improvements in terms of functionality or safety."

Ivorra emphasised that "the result is a completely renovated pool, with a contained cost well below what it would have cost to completely redo the basin," by investing nearly 100,000 euros compared to the higher budget of a million that the initial proposals considered for reconstructing the entire basin.

The University of Alicante has carried out a series of technical actions including the replacement of the perimeter channel, waterproofing of the basin up to 40 centimetres from the edge, and conducting leak tests that confirmed the total elimination of leaks.

Additionally, the basin was completely emptied to carry out the re-grouting of all tiles, an operation that had not been performed for over 25 years. After completing cleaning and maintenance tasks, the UA pool was refilled with new water, treated using the usual chlorination system.

As a novelty, the pool has been refilled with new water, treated using the usual chlorination system and, as a novelty, an additional ultraviolet light disinfection system has been incorporated, installed in the purification system's conduits. This technology complements the chemical treatment and significantly improves the sanitary quality of the bathing water.

Furthermore, all the luminaires in the facility have been replaced with more efficient and sustainable LED lights, and the protective netting of the roof has been renewed, enhancing the overall safety of the installation.

The University of Alicante pool is available at different times depending on the time of year. During the regular period (September to May), it opens Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 10 pm, Fridays from 10 am to 10 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sundays/holidays from 9 am to 2 pm.

In June, the schedule remains similar, but on Sundays and holidays, it closes at 1 pm. In July, access is from Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 10 pm due to the Summer School, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 9 am to 8 pm and 9 am to 1 pm, respectively. During Easter and Christmas, the schedule adjusts from 9 am to 8 pm Monday to Thursday, from 10 am to 8 pm on Fridays, from 9 am to 9 pm on Saturdays, and from 9 am to 2 pm on Sundays/holidays.

To reserve the use of the pool, it is necessary to do so from this link with a maximum of 96 hours in advance.