Designed by leading aquatic design and engineering firm Martin Aquatic, The Island features a number of exciting and cutting-edge attractions, suitable for both kids and adults. Park highlights include 11 winding water slides, a 500-foot lazy river, and a state-of-the-art surf simulator. 

But just as the park’s guest amenities and attractions take advantage of new and impressive technology, so, too, do the mechanical rooms that support them.  

Located on opposite ends of the 120,000 square foot facility, the park’s two mechanical rooms house a vast array of pumps, regenerative filter systems, UV systems, water chemistry systems and more. To ensure all of these systems work in harmony with one another, each mechanical room features a SplashBotix Main Control Panel (MCP) aquatic system automation controller. The two MCPs integrate with each mechanical room’s vast array of equipment to maintain interlocks between pumps and water quality systems, regulate basin water levels, and continuously monitor field sensors and devices for fault and alarm conditions. 

The MCPs further support operators by offering real-time dashboards and event logs, delivering complete visibility into the waterpark’s operational health and performance from 10-inch touch screen HMIs. Outside the mechanical room, the two MCPs further support operations by controlling the interlock logic underpinning the park’s network of emergency stop buttons.

Despite the facility’s sheer volume and diverse mix of attractions, The Island Waterpark was constructed in just eight months–record time for any waterpark, let alone one that size. The project met such an impressive development timeline due in large part to the ease with which contractors and park personnel were able to test and commission park attractions using the MCP’s VFD control interface—saving several man-days of commissioning. 

One such example is the park’s lazy river, which relies on the synchronization of up to10 feature pumps. Typically, contractors might spend hours pacing between the equipment room and the lazy river, incrementally raising the speed of each pump in order to achieve an ideal flow rate. 

“Given the number of VFDs being used on the [lazy river], it may have taken us a few days to go through all the parameters and make sure everything was set up correctly,” said The Island Waterpark’s Director of Maintenance Dan Jankovits. “Using the MCP, it took us just a few hours.”

Jankovits also pointed out that using the MCP was much easier than having to navigate a conventional push-button VFD interface. “If you’ve ever had to change the parameters on a VFD,” said Jankovits, “you know they’ve got four sets of arrows and an “enter” button. And basically, you’re hitting the arrows to navigate across multiple screens to eventually get the VFD to a certain point. [With the MCP], it’s all a touch screen and everything is spelled out in plain English.” The MCP’s pump control interface helped reduce the commissioning time on the waterslides and other attractions as well. 

Given the facility’s size and breadth of equipment, daily walk-throughs conducted by facility operators would have been extremely time-consuming if it weren’t for the two MCP controllers, which provide a comprehensive, real-time view of each equipment room. Jankovits explains, “When I go into the pump rooms, the first thing I do is look at the screen. Then I might see, for example, that one of the [filtration] systems was in pre-coat for too long, I’ll check on that first to make sure it’s back to operating normally. It really helps prioritize what needs to be done during my walk-throughs and make the best use of my time.”

One aspect of the MCP that has been critical for Jankovits is the controller’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) feature—a running log of key facility events, reflecting everything from administrative actions to device faults and alarms. Designed to help operators monitor for anomalies that may point to larger problems affecting their facility, the MCP’s SCADA revealed a pattern of irregular water fill valve behavior that drew Jankovits’ attention to a possible leak event one Summer. In another instance, the SCADA system drew Jankovits and his team’s attention to a potential issue with an emergency stop switch on one of the park’s water slides. The SCADA system empowered operators with the foresight to address problems before they escalated.  

According to Jankovits, it can often take years of industry experience to truly understand and become comfortable working with and maintaining certain kinds of equipment.

“I’m used to the old school,” said Jankovits. “I grew up in this industry using high-rate sand filters. I could walk into a pump room and know what issues to look for if I didn’t hear the pump working, the motor working, or the water going through the valves.” 

The Island Waterpark, however, doesn’t use sand filters. It relies on regenerative media filters—a more recent filtration technology—to maintain water quality. Regenerative media filters use perlite-coated tubes to trap particles as they flow through the filter. Once the perlite becomes fully loaded, a vibration event known as a “bump” occurs, causing the trapped particles to fall to the bottom of the filter.

“With the media filter, it’s nice to be able to see on the MCP screen that the systems are up and running. I’m not constantly having to check each individual one,” Jankovits said. He also appreciates how easy it is to customize the MCP to better align with the way he and his team operate and maintain the park.

The two MCP controllers have contributed to making park operations efficient and straightforward. They have allowed him and his team to get routine work done quickly and painlessly. “Starting things up in the morning is easier, too. We’re not going back and pushing this VFD, and then waiting for it to turn on and then going and doing the same thing to the next one. You push one button and the attraction turns on,” he said. 

As Jankovits and his team continue to build upon the park’s tremendous success in bringing a family-friendly atmosphere to Atlantic City, the facility’s two MCPs have also played a key role in helping them maintain a safe environment.

For more information: 

SplashBotix

Main Control Panel

Island Waterpark

Martin Aquatic