From The Deep End · ATU Blog

The Decision Matrix: Costs of Building & Maintaining a Therapy Pool

Budgeting to build and run a therapy pool? Start with a conference or a consultant, then use this design matrix to plan it right the first time.

Published by Aquatic Therapy University2 min read

  • Pools
  • Program Development
  • PT
  • OT
First published April 1, 2024 on atuseminars.com

Getting a therapy pool approved is a win. Working out what it will cost to build and run is the next hurdle, and it is easy to get wrong.

Want to go deeper? Explore Private Training options for your facility →

A group exercises in a large community pool.
A therapy pool is a major investment, so plan the build and running costs together.

Hot dog.Your administrator is finally on board and the new facility is going to include a therapy pool. Or you have finally decided to stop using the pool at the local Y or hotel. Unfortunately, you’ve been assigned the task of determining how much to budget for the construction and yearly operations of the pool. Gulp.

Getting the ball rolling

The first smart decision you can make is to attend a conference and/or hire a consultant to help you with the project. This is too big a potential money-pit to have a novice making decisions. Comment below or email us if you're looking for names.

In the meanwhile, here is a great resource we wrote several years ago to help you get pointed in the right direction and design your pool right the first time.

Click Here for Design Matrix

Why maintenance belongs in the budget

  • Therapy pools are not immune. In 2008 CDC inspection data, therapy pools had the fewest disinfectant and pH violations but the most “other” water chemistry violations (43.9%), and 36.8% had circulation or filtration violations.1
  • Small sample. Only 99 therapy pool inspections were in the data, so treat these figures with caution.
  • Training pays. Missing operator-training records showed up in 18.3% of inspections, and the CDC notes that operator training has been linked to fewer water-quality violations.1

Frequently asked questions

What is the first smart decision when planning a therapy pool?

Get expert help: go to a conference, hire a consultant, or both (Aquatic Therapy University, 2024).

Who should make the pool-building decisions?

Someone with experience, not a novice, because mistakes can be very costly (Aquatic Therapy University, 2024).

References

Research cited in this post

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Violations identified from routine swimming pool inspections--selected states and counties, United States, 2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59(19):582-7. PubMed: 20489681.

How to cite this article

First published April 1, 2024 on atuseminars.com · Last updated October 19, 2026 · Permanent URL: https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/the-decision-matrix-costs-of-building-maintaining-a

How to cite

Aquatic Therapy University. (2024, April 1). The Decision Matrix: Costs of Building & Maintaining a Therapy Pool. Aquatic Therapy University Blog. ATU Educational Services, LLC. https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/blog/the-decision-matrix-costs-of-building-maintaining-a

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For education only; not a substitute for individual clinical judgment.