Electrical failure closes hot pools

The Mount Hot Pools were forced to shut during one of the Western Bay's busiest long weekends, after the relaxing warm waters suddenly cooled off.

The fault was noticed on Saturday, when the pool temperatures dropped. The cause was traced to a failed motor in the pump on the bore which brings up the thermal waters used in the heat exchanger.

Locals and holidaymakers wanting to relax in the salt pools arrived to find a notice on the door stating the complex was closed due to an electrical fault and apologising for the inconvenience.

It was like deja vu for regular bather Kevin Akroyd, who led the campaign two years ago that forced the council to take action on fluctuating water temperatures.

Mr Akroyd discovered the pools were closed when he arrived to take the waters on Sunday morning.

Tauranga City Aquatics director David Stewart said the electrical fault was discovered on Saturday. It affected the heating of the pool and the decision was made to fix it straight away.

"One could say it was bad luck. It is something that has happened and, as a director, I need to understand what happened and why, and whether it could have been foreseen."

Mr Stewart said it was not desirable that the failure happened during a long weekend because it had serious consequences on revenue.

"It sounded like something that could not be foreseen," he said. Work on replacing the cable and pump motor finished yesterday.