Most — but not all — indoor ice arenas use drinking water to make artificial ice. If you’ve ever wondered where that water comes from, read on…
Sean from content marketing firm Ghergich & Co. reached out to see if I would be interested in publishing the infographic you see on the left on Re-Surfacing.com. The infographic was developed for Waterlogic — a leader in point-of-use water purification. Since so much of what ice makers do has to do with water, I was more than happy to oblige. Excited even! Awestruck with the research they have done.
Like Jersey City! This city in, you guessed it, New Jersey, was the very first US city to develop a drinking water disinfection system — in 1908. The mastermind behind that was physician and water expert, Dr. John L. Leal, who used chlorine to ensure the drinking water was “pure and wholesome”. Not everyone was convinced, and Leal was called as a witness at two trials concerning the quality of Jersey City’s water supply: when the second trial approved the use of chlorine, the Jersey City model was replicated at cities and towns across the USA.
With indoor ice arenas, innovations are being made to reduce the supply of drinking water being used. This includes the Abbotsford Arena in Abbotsford, BC that harvests rainwater for its floodwater, and the Scott Seaman Sports Rink in the M.D. of Foothills #31 in Alberta, Canada who’s actually recycling the water from the snow melt pit to re-use as floodwater once again. These are brilliant examples of what can be done to reduce the quantity of drinking water being used to make ice.
Is your arena doing something extraordinary with your water? Let me know!
