The 40-acre First Federal Sportsplex in Live Oak is quite a place indeed. It has a bit of everything for every member of the family… including: 5 lighted ballfields, tennis courts, lighted batting cages, 5 bull pen mounds, two oversized playgrounds (for kids 2-5, and kids 5-12), dog-friendly fitness trails, large pavilions (screened and unscreened), open grassy areas, a concession building to refresh and reload, and even a 3,500 Spohn Ranch skatepark.
Effective this week, it now boasts a great new amenity… a state of the art Interactive Water Feature (IWF). Spearheaded by Jason Furry of Suwannee Parks and Recreation. It has 1,249 square feet of popular Vortex features including the 8’ tall Astra features, 11’ tall Helico, 16’ high Twinsplash (dumping bucket) and a bunch of lower cannon and floor jet features to name a few. The IWF was expertly designed by Ray Schindler of Aquatic Consulting Engineers in Boca, and constructed by Ryan Wells of Oak Wells Aquatics of Jax.
CES provided all the mechanical equipment, which was housed in a compact but ample equipment room. It includes a BECSys5 which controls the operation of the entire mechanical system. It also consists of (2) CES AMF filters with single lever backwash and AFM® Activated Glass Media, which will provide sub-micron drinking water-grade filtration. There is a Sentry UV system per DOH requirements, a Pulsar Infinity “all-in-one” chlorination system, an Ultra Dilute Acid (UDA) pH feed system, and a dual purpose pump which operates both the filtration and feature loops via the BECSys5 and the PFDx pump controls with VFD (in compliance with the new July Dept. of Energy Pump Regulations).
There is an emphasis on saving energy and natural resources. The BECSys5 not only controls the water level, but tracks the amount of water being used on a minute by minute basis, to help prevent wasting water in the event of a service issue. The system also utilizes the CES exclusive “show-standby” energy conservation program that minimizes energy consumption 24/7/365 by seamlessly integrating the BECSys5, PFDx, the Vortex controls systems without any operator involvement.
Whenever someone is using the IWF, the system immediately ramps up the pump, UV, and filtration system to DOH standards and to optimum Vortex flow rates, meaning the features can work precisely as designed. When the patrons leave the IWF, the system returns to an DOH-mandated filtration mode that results in energy consumption that is normally at around 12-15% of normal power. The system is always ready, but always minimizing electrical (and water) consumption.
Since this entire system is operated by the BECSys5, all parameters are being monitored, logged, and charted for quick review from a PC, tablet, or cell phone. Jason and the CES Tech team are automatically alerted with any out-of-range parameters, well before they can become a real issue…
We congratulate Jason for a job well done in keeping the design, construction, and permitting on a streamlined schedule, and for doing such a terrific job in operating the IWF feature (and his other pool) at peak performance with minimal down time and zero drama.
Jason appeared to be happy with CES as well… and in a nice note to us wrote that:
Thanks again, you always provide great knowledge and even better customer service. You have been a great help to us in getting this new splash pad operational and ultimately for the enjoyment of our community. I can’t say enough about the products, training and service that CES provides. One of the best decisions we ever made when we started making upgrades at our facility years ago, was to hire you guys!
Jason, we appreciate working for folks that and take good care of their property and equipment… you make it easy.
