Petersen Engineering Chief Lends Expertise to Pool Efforts

The bathing suited masses still came to swim their laps. On frigid winter mornings, high school practices remained the norm. To any outside observer, the Portsmouth Indoor Pool & Aquatic Fitness Center would have appeared to be running smoothly.

Beneath the surface and far above the highest board, however, the four decades old building hid flaws that, if left untreated, risked turning ruinous.

In early 2010, the City of Portsmouth –motviated primarily by concerns over cost – proposed that the pool be closed for good, prompting a group of concerned citizens to establish the Save the Portsmouth Indoor Pool (SIPP). After 18 months of joint work sessions with the City, STIPP tasked itself with securing enough funding to help bring the recreational staple back from the brink.

Now, a new agreement with the City – coupled with $150,000 in annual city support – will allow the group the time necessary to amp up fundraising and renovation efforts.

Helping spearhead SIPP’s campaign is James Peterson, owner of Green Alliance Business Partner Petersen Engineering and long time pool member. Not long after SIPP’s official launch, Petersen was asked to bring his expertise and background to bear, and help pinpoint precisely what was causing the pool’s monthly water bills – already well beyond the cost of both electricity and heat – to skyrocket.

“In any pool, the biggest loss of water comes from simple evaporation,” explains Petersen. “But the steep rise in water use told us that it was leaking from somewhere, so we went in and tried to find the source.”

It didn’t take long for Petersen to nail down the chief culprit: a sizable crack under the gutter grate running the entire perimeter of the pool – one whose scale was difficult to fully appreciate until the pool was emptied for repairs.

The data is still rolling in, but so far Petersen says the relatively simple fix should prove a boon to the pool and SIPP.

“If we get the expected 40% reduction in water usage compared to where it was before, that would come out to $30,000 in annual savings,” he says. “That could really help us take care of other improvements that need to be done.”

And that’s not even taking into the thousands of dollars in annual savings from curbing the use water treatment chemicals, which must be added to every drop of new water piped into the pool.

Lisa Arkelian, who came on as the pool’s Facilities Manger shortly after the city’s 2010 verdict, says she’s confident that facility improvements – and the resulting money saved – make for a sign of good things to come.

“We’re 100% confident that the improvements will help us meet our budget goals with the city,” says Arkelian. “The support the project has received so far goes to show how many people need this facility, not just for recreational purposes, but for physical and mental health and well-being as well.”

Petersen says he and the rest of the SIPP team are determined to use the improvement as proof that a little donor funding can go a long way in helping the pool become more energy efficient. In particular, Petersen points to the Aquatic Center’s roof, which is itself in dire need of replacement.

“The roof is going to be the big one,” notes Petersen. “Once the water use is back under control, saving on gas and electricity use is going to be the next most important problem to solve.”

This past Sunday, the pool hosted its 2nd Annual Fitness Fair & Grand Reopening Celebration. Complete with aquatic demonstrations, door prizes, and refreshments, the event was intended to both celebrate the pool’s accomplishments, while raising awareness that the fight to keep the facility open and running soundly is far from over.

Among those in attendance was Jennifer Zorn. As one of SIPP’s original board members, Zorn is thrilled to see the grassroots group gain increased recognition and momentum heading into what promises to be a crucial year.

“Finding donors in a tough economy is always a challenge, but we’ve been very fortunate, and I think a lot of that has to do with our multifaceted approach,” says Zorn, who currently serves as the organization’s Public Affairs Officer. “As long as we continue to keep a good mix of small and large donors on our radar, I’m confident we’ll be able meet our goals.”

To be sure, there’s much to be done before the pool is back in the black. It’s a challenge James Petersen – who recently transformed his centuries-old Portsmouth office from energy sieve into efficiency beacon – is eager to meet.

“We’ve essentially stopped the leak that was like an overflowing bathtub with the replacement of the gutter, and we’re already getting going on figuring out how to replace the roof,” says Petersen. “Next summer is going to be exciting, to watch a highly visible roof replacement finally come together and see the pool get to where it’s ready for its next four decades of use.”

Learn more about SIPP's efforts by clicking here.

For more info on Petersen Engineering, visit www.petersenengineering.com

To learn more about Green Alliance, go to www.greenalliance.biz