Aquatic Center closed for remainder of season
Photo by Shari Harris
The smaller pumps are circulating water to keep it aerated and clear so divers can inspect the pool for other leaks.
By Shari Harris
Publisher
Licking City Hall announced last week that a large leak was found at the diving board end of the city pool, in the return line piping near the drain. More tests are upcoming, and the pool will remain closed this season.
If you’ve driven past the pool, looks can be deceiving, as water can be seen circulating at the slide and spewing out the top of the water buckets. The small pumps at these locations are running in an attempt to keep the pool clean. Currently valves are shut off to the leaking line to prevent water loss, and the bigger pump is shut down. No chemicals can be introduced to the system without the bigger pump running. Divers are scheduled to return this week to check the drain at the deep end, and the pool needs to be as clear as possible for them to work.
An extensive repair will be required to fix the large leak that was discovered. Westport Pools, which is the company who built the pool initially, has been in charge of finding and fixing the leak(s). They have enlisted the assistance of American Leak Detection. Small holes were drilled through the concrete decking over the pipes, then helium gas was pumped through the lines. A large leak was detected as helium gas leaked up through the holes over the damaged area. After they fix the leak, another helium test will be performed to see if there are smaller leaks.
City Administrator/Clerk Rhonda Kirkwood and Assistant Superintendent of Utilities Donnie Trout expressed the disappointment of all city employees that the pool won’t be used this summer. Pre-season work by city workers on the pool included draining it four times and pressure washing it four times, among other things. It requires 175,000 gallons of water to fill the pool, so this isn’t a small task. This year, it appears, there will be no positive result from all of their efforts.
