Sports Development Foundation (SDF) General Manager Denzil Wilks says that an unforeseen complication in the purchasing process has pushed back the procurement and installation of the new pump for the National Aquatic Centre (NAC).
The pumping system for the 50m pool and the diving pool were scheduled to be replaced by the end of June. The Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) had put in a request from last November for financial assistance in replacing the system which experienced problems last year.
Wilks says that to secure the warranty for the new system, the supplier said that there are specific parts that they had to acquire as well, an additional complication that he says was not communicated until after the initial approval was granted.
“When we sought to execute the purchase, the supplier made a determination that there were some strainers that they wanted to supply with the pump in order for us to get the warranty that we would normally get,” Wilks said. “And they made it that they would not be prepared to provide any kind of warranty for the pumps unless those special strainers were purchased. Those strainers were costing about 50 per cent of what the pump would cost.”
In an interview with The Gleaner in June, Wilks estimated the total cost of the two pumps to be close to US$28,000 (J$4.18 million), more than double what was budgeted by ASAJ (J$2 million). Wilks said that the additional parts have now raised the cost to nearly US$43,000 (J$6.6 million). However, he said that the approval for the additional funding was granted and is targeting the replacement to be complete by the end of next month.
“We have since received that approval and because of the amount the total has come up to now, we had to do a slight change in terms of the procurement process. That is under way and we anticipate that we should be able to have the pumps for the pool between now and the end of November,” Wilks said.
It is a delay that has been met with disappointment from ASAJ President Martin Lyn. However, he says he recognises the importance of the SDF doing due diligence to ensure that there are no further complications once the new system is installed.
“This is a major capital expenditure, so the SDF just wanted to make sure that all of the different aspects were investigated so that when the decision has been made, nobody can question why we went that route,” Lyn said.
“It’s a disappointment but the most important thing is that I am not losing sight of the fact that it is a great asset to us in terms of the running and the efficiency of the pool. The fact that it has taken a little longer, we are well prepared to wait because we will enjoy the benefits.”
The NAC reopened in July for national and club training and earlier this year staged time trial events for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.