Aquatherm®

World’s leading manufacturer of PP-R piping systems.

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An Old Favourite. Future-Ready.

Project: Staveley Ice Rink Refrigeration Upgrade
Location: Mid Canterbury
System: Aquatherm Blue PP-R
Application: Refrigerated concrete slab
Client / Community: Staveley Hall Society & local volunteers

For more than 70 years, the Staveley Ice Rink has been part of winter in Mid Canterbury - built, maintained and enjoyed by the local community.

But shorter, less reliable winters were making the natural rink harder to operate. Protecting its future required more than waiting for the weather. It needed a dependable refrigeration system designed to perform season after season.

The Challenge

This was not a commercial arena with a facilities team on standby. It was a community-led project where reliability, longevity and manageable maintenance mattered. The system needed to deliver consistent thermal performance in changing conditions without introducing corrosion risk or uncertainty beneath the slab.

An Old Favourite. Future-Ready.

Project: Staveley Ice Rink Refrigeration Upgrade
Location: Mid Canterbury
System: Aquatherm Blue PP-R
Application: Refrigerated concrete slab
Client / Community: Staveley Hall Society & local volunteers

For more than 70 years, the Staveley Ice Rink has been part of winter in Mid Canterbury - built, maintained and enjoyed by the local community.

The Challenge

The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.

The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.
The Solution
USCO supplied the Aquatherm Blue PP-R Piping System for the new refrigerated concrete slab. It was a different setting for a system more often seen in large commercial HVAC and industrial cooling projects, but the performance requirements were familiar.
Aquatherm Blue was selected for its corrosion-free material, fused joint system and proven use in heating and cooling applications. Embedded in the slab, it provided a durable solution designed to keep performing with minimal maintenance.
USCO worked with the project team to make sure the system was correctly selected and supported for this unusual application. That practical knowledge helped turn a trusted commercial system into a long-term solution for a much-loved community asset.

The Outcome

A reliable, corrosion-free refrigeration system embedded in the new slab
More reliable control over ice conditions and season length
Reduced risk of failure or costly rework beneath the concrete
A future-ready solution that helps protect a local tradition

The rink is now open each season from 1st June, helping ensure Staveley’s ice-skating tradition continues despite changing conditions. The project shows that innovation is not always about using something new. Sometimes it is about applying a proven system in a smarter way to help something important last.

At USCO, we’re proud to support projects like this where performance, reliability, and community impact come together.