Torrevieja City Council is processing a 134,000 euro contract, including VAT, for the installation of a new air conditioning duct in the indoor swimming pool at the Sports Palace. The project will also include improvements to the boiler room ventilation. This budget is in addition to the 14,000 euro cost of drafting the project through a minor contract.
The competition to award the work comes after the detachment of the old metal pipe, which “collapsed” – as the contract describes it – on 14th May onto the water surface while the facility was open to the public. This forced the closure of the pool and brought forward the end of the heated pool season by several weeks.
The Popular Party governing team, which has announced the tendering of two other municipal contracts in recent days, has not yet reported on this tender, which is being processed urgently and was approved at a government meeting held on Monday.
Three-month construction timeline
The new construction must be completed in three months, meaning the Sports Department will have to wait until the indoor pool is available to the public for its regular season, which usually begins in early September between 5th and 9th September. Even if the contract is expedited, the process will require at least three weeks for the award to take place. It is unlikely that the City Council will be able to open the facilities while the work is underway, meaning the pool is expected to reopen around November or December.
The pool was closed after a large section of the steel pipe above the pool basin collapsed across several lanes. Swimmers inside the pool were unharmed, although eyewitnesses at the time said it was a miracle that no one was injured. The incident occurred following a previous problem with the support structure. The Department of Sports reported that an anomaly had been detected in April, leading to a precautionary closure before the maintenance company, Serveo, repaired and inspected the installation prior to reopening. Following the collapse, the City Council requested a report from the company detailing the work carried out and the causes of the fall.
The pipe removed from the premises after the accident showed corrosion of the galvanised steel sheet material installed in 2021.
New system layout
The renovation plans rule out suspending the pipe below the roof and above the waterline, as was done with the previous installation. According to the project, the original design made it difficult or impossible to inspect the suspension, anchoring, and support elements, an issue that was not considered during the original installation in 2021.
Furthermore, the large indoor swimming pool – one of the central features of the Torrevieja Sports Complex – exhibits constant humidity. Combined with compounds derived from water treatment, it created an environment particularly aggressive for the metal components making up the system. The new layout moves the installation outside the area of the water surface.
Installation history and investigation
The project, drafted by an HVAC company, indicates that the problems with the air conditioning system affect widespread areas due to duct deterioration, performance loss, corrosion of the fixings, and dirt accumulation. It rules out a partial repair and requests a complete overhaul, replacing the galvanised steel sheet with a textile duct. The report does not specify which company installed the detached duct in 2021, stating that it is unknown.
The Department of Sports confirmed that a thorough investigation would be launched into the incident, considering potential liability of the maintenance company, Serveo. However, officials did not specify whether the structures that collapsed had been installed during the renovation of the Sports Palace awarded to the Hozono Group in 2021 for the Women’s Handball World Championship. If confirmed, the council would also seek compensation for deficiencies in the renovation work.
The 134,000 euro funding will come from the municipal budget. The department headed by Diana Box initiated the replacement process swiftly, signing the initial paperwork for drafting the project on 18th May, four days after the collapse, and awarding the drafting contract by 1st June.
