Renovating a sports pool without demolition

Signs that a sports pool needs renovation

• Water loss that evaporation or backwashing cannot explain.
• Loose or cracked tiles and joints, and recurring repairs.
• An overflow gutter that no longer works well or no longer meets current requirements.
• Damage to the concrete or the reinforcement.
• A pool that no longer fits its use: competition length outside tolerance, no room for touch pads, a depth unsuited to swimming lessons, or no accessible entry.

Weighing renovation against replacement? See Renovate or rebuild? and Stainless steel or concrete?

How RenovAction works, step by step

1. Survey. We record the dimensions, the condition of the shell, the gutter and the circulation, together with your plans for the coming years. On that basis we set out the options, each with an indication of time and cost.
2. Design. Myrtha engineers the new pool: dimensions, depths, edge details and any additions such as a movable bulkhead or Soft Floor.
3. Rails and spacers. Stainless steel rails are fixed and aligned along the existing walls, recessed where needed. High-density spacers absorb irregularities in the concrete.
4. Wall panels. PVC-laminated stainless steel panels are bolted to the rails. There is no welding on site.
5. Floor. A reinforced PVC membrane with hot-welded seams forms the watertight floor.
6. Overflow gutter. A stainless steel gutter goes into the existing channel or along a new perimeter. There are three routes: a new gutter in the old position (partly removing the old concrete gutter); a new gutter on the existing deck without demolition, which makes the pool deeper and lets the pipework be renewed inside the gutter without excavation; or a lighter solution with an adjustable profile on the existing gutter. We only recommend the last one in specific cases, because it solves less.
7. Finishing, filling and handover. Equipment, filling, testing and handover to the operator follow.

EWAC Pools carries out the installation and remains the point of contact for maintenance and service after handover. Myrtha handles the engineering and the manufacture of the panels. Water treatment and climate installations are outside our scope: the installer takes care of them, and we coordinate the connections with them.

How long is the pool closed?

Closure depends on the scope of work, the condition of the shell and the building work around the pool. Myrtha references outside the BeNeLux give an indication:

• Bellerive-Plage in Lausanne, a 50 × 20 m pool from 1937, was renovated in seven weeks.
• Acquain in Andalo, Italy, reopened 60 days after work began.
• At Challenge Stadium in Perth, two 50 m pools were renovated in a few weeks each.

[CHECK: closure times for the BeNeLux references below. Myrtha and EWAC have not published them. Request them from Myrtha or the operator.]

Restoring the dimensions

Because the new walls stand on aligned rails, the new structure sets the internal dimensions, not the old concrete. A pool can therefore be brought back to competition dimensions, and depths, edges and activity zones can be changed. For a 50 m pool with touch pads at both ends, World Aquatics requires 50.020 to 50.030 m wall to wall. See Competition pool dimensions and requirements.

[CHECK with Myrtha: the minimum wall build-up thickness and the range for length correction.]

Myrtha pools in the BeNeLux renovated with RenovAction

• Twentebad, Hengelo (2018): a 50 m pool of 50 × 20.98 m, up to 3.79 m deep, with a movable bulkhead. The circulation was redesigned with CFD.
• Saint-Servais, Namur (2020): the aquatic centre had been closed for years because of filtration problems. The competition pool (24.81 × 14.48 m, 1.17 to 3.48 m deep, with a diving section) was renovated and fitted with twelve AngelEye underwater cameras.
• Marcinelle leisure centre (2015): all four pools of the 1976 centre (50 m pool, free-form leisure pool, diving pool and slide landing pool) were renovated within their existing structures. The centre reopened after about three years of closure. That period covers more than the pool works alone.
• Holiday park De Molenhoek, Kamperland (2010): a 20 m pool and two children’s pools. After fifteen seasons, EWAC Pools carried out maintenance in 2026: new banding on the vertical panel joints and new PVC coping. The structure itself needed no repairs.
• More on the product page: Zwemparadijs De Scheg in Deventer (2015), Zwembad Molenkoog on Texel (2015), De Tobbe in Slochteren (2013) and Couvin (2022).

For comparison, a new build: De Waterlinie in Culemborg (2018) is a new 25 × 21 m Myrtha pool. A movable floor with a hinged wall divides it into two zones with a 2 to 3 °C temperature difference. This kind of zoning can also be considered in a renovation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the concrete shell have to come out?

No. The existing shell stays in place as the base. Concrete is only partly removed where needed, for example for a new gutter in the old position.

How long is the pool closed?

That depends on the scope, the condition of the shell and the work around the pool. Myrtha references show renovations of seven weeks to about 60 days. After the survey, we give an indication for your pool.

Can the pool meet competition requirements again afterwards?

In many cases, yes, because the new walls set the internal dimensions. The survey shows whether this works for your pool.

Is there welding on site?

No. The panels are bolted. Only the seams of the PVC floor membrane are hot-welded.

Can I add features during a renovation?

Yes, for example a movable bulkhead, a movable floor, Soft Floor, a beach entry or drowning detection.

What does EWAC Pools do after handover?

Maintenance and service in the BeNeLux. De Molenhoek is an example. See also Maintenance and life-cycle cost.

Have your sports pool assessed? Do you want to know whether your pool can be renovated inside the existing shell, and what that means for closure? Get in touch, e-mail pools@ewac.nl or call +31 (0)226 31 34 57. We start with a survey of your pool.

Read also: Sport.

Sources

Myrtha Pools, Pool renovation (RenovAction)
EWAC Pools, Pool renovation (method and references)
EWAC Pools, Renovate or rebuild? (closure times, gutter routes, survey)
EWAC Pools, project stories Twentebad, Saint-Servais, Marcinelle, De Molenhoek and De Waterlinie
World Aquatics, Swimming Pool Certification (2026)

Last updated: 28 September 2026