Okay this is a bit crazy, however...

I was talking with one of the guys that works at the rink and he was telling me about some of the running costs of the rink; huge.

Everyday the ice is cut about 4/5 times, requiring many gallons of water, the "waste" ice is dumped out the back to melt into the drain.

What if the "waste" ice was filtered to be reused again?

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Skate Free

I think the water costs are lower than the electricity, technology and maintenance costs which would be required to filter it. Besides some of the ice is recycled, about 2/3rds goes back onto the ice and only about a third of water is added, making the ice thickness gradually grow through the season actually. At least over here.

I think the real cost is like... Well the ice rink in a neighbouring town, with 1 olympic-sized rink, 1 speed-skating rink and 1 practice rink, they use up the cooling power of about 1600 freezers simultaneously. I think that's where the real costs of running an ice rink are... And obviously the buildings and such.

BTW I *think* one of the rinks up north (in Heerenveen specifically) filters their water remains with helofyte filters - that's a kind of plant - because it says "helofyte" on some walls there. I'm not sure which water that is though, considering the water in their toilets is decidedly gross it could well be the bathroom water.

Some rinks recycle the ice resurfacer water, but it requires special filters, cisterns, and pumps. Many older rinks weren't built with the equipment and adding it later is prohibitively expensive.

This is a heartwarming story about a rink that gave a sick child a "white christmas" by using its recycled water to make "snow."
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/846473.html

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