Thirroul and Towradgi Pools Community Update

Thirroul Pool and Towradgi Rock pool are two of our city’s much loved community facilities.

We know there has been some chatter in the community about the reasons behind the temporary closure of Thirroul Pool, and volume of sand in Towradgi Rock Pools.

Here’s an update on both facilities.

Thirroul Pool – Cliff Parade, Thirroul

Wollongong City Council has no plans at this time to close any of its nine public swimming pools with lifeguard services. This includes the much-loved Thirroul Pool.

Thirroul Pool has been closed this week due to water quality concerns. Thirroul Pool is one of the city’s three saltwater pools. The saltwater for the pools is drawn in from off the coast, and when there are large seas and swells, the quality of the water coming in through the intake pipes is not suitable for swimming.

In good conditions, it can take approximately six hours to fill Thirroul Pool with fresh seawater. We have attempted three times to fill the pool this week, but the water in the first two attempts was dirty and muddy, and on the third attempt seaweed ripped up by the big swells is sitting just offshore and is clogging the inlet pipes as the water is sucked in.

We’ll continue to work towards filling the pool, and reopening the facility as soon as we can. The seawater that makes Thirroul Pool so enjoyable, also makes it a challenge to maintain. We’re reliant on good sea and weather conditions to ensure the water quality meets expectations. This can be particularly difficult in times of heavy rainfall – last summer it was closed on a number of occasions due to poor water quality off the coast – and when large seas churn up the water leaving it muddy or with lots of loose seaweed.

However, in good news, we have used the forced closure to carry out some essential maintenance work to help keep the facility shipshape for what’s expected to be a busy summer.

Towradgi Rock Pool

The city’s nine coastal rock pools are loved for their sea-side location. However, this position also presents challenges when it comes to their maintenance as beaches are a dynamic seaside environment and conditions can change quickly.

On average, it takes between four to six hours to clean one of these pools. The clean can only be done during daylight hours and during low tides that are accompanied by low seas and swells. A clean involves draining the pool, emptying it of sand using heavy machinery and any other debris, a high-pressure clean, checking for any damage then re-filling the pool. Depending on the pool, some will have water pumped into them, while others fill at a natural high tide.

On average, the rock pools are cleaned about every six weeks, with the dedicated crew carrying out weekly inspections to prioritise the pools in terms of risk. Next week, we’ve Woonona, Bulli and Coledale rock pool listed on the schedule although this may be adjusted on Monday following the inspection of all the pools, including Towradgi.

Community members can check the dedicated rock pools page to see upcoming cleaning schedules. We always encourage residents to let us know if they’ve concerns about the conditions of the pools by contacting our Customer Service team or logging a report through our website.

Future of our Pools strategy

At our Council meeting on Monday night, Council agreed to review the Future of our Pools Strategy. This document was prepared in 2014 and has a 10-year lifespan. It considers what our community want and expect from their public pools. The document recognises that aquatic recreational activities continue to evolve and the updated document will consider how to meet the demands of recreational and lap swimmers as well as ensuring our pools are attractive and well-utilised recreation destinations. There will be an opportunity for community input into the updated Future of our Pools Strategy and we encourage community members to follow Council’s social media channels for updates.