The Courier ran an online poll asking if Ballarat’s new pool should have a shallow and deep end, or a uniform depth.

The majority voted in favour of a variable depth pool with areas where swimmers could touch the bottom.

Of 196 people who participated in the survey, 59.2 per cent preferred the variable depth option, with 40.8 per cent supporting a uniform deep water pool.

It comes as City of Ballarat councillors prepare to choose tonight between a variable or uniform depth pool, or a pool with a movable floor.

A report examining the three pool-depth options has been published but council officers have not offered a recommendation between the designs.

Mayor Joshua Morris said a recommendation was not necessary.

He said if the councillors chose to pursue the current design for a variable depth pool they could simply receive the report to proceed.

But an alternate motion would need to be raised to pursue a constant depth facility.

“There’s advice for councillors in the report and we as councillors have every opportunity to ask officers for any advice,” he said.

Cr Morris said the council could make a decision tonight but it would have minimal impact on the build if they had to defer the item for two weeks.

When the City of Ballarat announced the pool as part of its $72 million infrastructure budget last year, it sold the project as the aquatic facility that “this city deserves”.

Former mayor John Burt said $17 million would bring in “new first class aquatic facilities projects”.

The tender has already been awarded and contractors are due to take possession of the build site today.