Public swimming pools play an essential role in promoting health and physical activity; however, they are also among the most resource- and energy-intensive municipal facilities. High consumption of water, electricity, and thermal energy results in elevated operational costs, creating a demand for sustainable and cost-effective technological solutions.

This study presents a novel heat recovery method that captures waste heat from swimming pool circulation pumps. Instead of releasing this heat into technical rooms, the system transfers it to the pool water to preheat the recirculation stream. This process both cools the pumps and recovers thermal energy, thus increasing energy efficiency, reducing heat emissions in technical areas, and lowering dependence on external energy sources. A case study examined 34 pumps with a combined installed power of 700 kW, operating 10 hours daily for 3520 hours annually. The total electrical energy consumption was estimated at 2464 MWh per year. Depending on recovery efficiency, between 1725 MWh (70%) and 2341 MWh (95%) of thermal energy can be reused annually within the facility. Economic analysis showed that larger pumps achieved payback in under two years, with an average payback period of about three years across all units. The environmental assessment indicated a reduction in CO₂ emissions of 1240 to 1680 tonnes per year, according to the national grid emission factor.

The novelty of this research lies in the systematic integration of hydraulic and thermal energy management in swimming pool facilities, where pump-generated heat has not previously been exploited as a recoverable energy source. The findings demonstrate that significant operational savings and environmental benefits can be achieved with relatively low investment costs, providing a scalable framework for sustainable technical installations in public swimming pools and other water-intensive buildings.