Opening of the Oak Ridge pool could be delayed
The opening of the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool could be slightly delayed this summer because of unexpected repairs that led to other delays.
At this point, the opening day is not known.
Oak Ridge City Manager Randy Hemann made the announcement during Monday's Oak Ridge City Council meeting. Asked to elaborate on the problems Tuesday, Senior Communications Specialist Lauren Gray provided the following information in an email:
"One of the four filter pumps has failed, requiring replacement. A new pump has been ordered and will be installed as soon as it arrives.
"A 12-inch diameter water line feeding one of the filters has broken at a coupling adjacent to the filter. The Public Works water crew installed a repair coupling at the break. It is necessary to refill the pool to test the repair. The test is expected to happen tomorrow (Wednesday, May 14). If the repair holds, we will be able to begin circulating and treating the water. Once the water is balanced and able to pass testing, lifeguards will complete their in-pool training and we will open the pool. If the repair does not work, it will be necessary to dig up and replace a section of the 12-inch line, then go through the process of re-filling, testing, completing training, and opening."
But good news arrived Wednesday afternoon.
Gray said the new filter pump was installed and all four filters were operating. The chlorinators were to be repaired and started up Thursday, May 15. Lifeguards were to start brushing and vacuuming the pool
"The algae bloom is pretty bad so it will take a few days of cleaning," she said in an email.
The city officials won't release an opening date until they can see how quickly lifeguards can be trained and how long the cleaning will take, Gray said. The city website had said the pool would open on May 23.
Asked about work the city workers have done to get the pool ready for the season, Gray listed:
Replaced pool filter media and repaired broken filter laterals.
Pressure washed the pool shell, caulking and painting.
Building maintenance on locker rooms, bathrooms, and staff areas.
The condition of the 81-year-old pool has been a topic of discussion for many years because of its problems. Structural problems are allowing 100,000 to 110,000 gallons of water to be lost each day, city officials have reported. As reported earlier in The Oak Ridger, consultants hired by the city to explore the pool's problems and make recommendations said in early 2024 that the 58,000-square-foot pool takes about 2.2 million gallons of water from the nearby spring to operate daily. The pool reportedly has a problem with recirculation of the water, with only the water at the pool's edges being treated with chlorine for health. That treated water does not get to the pool's center.
Jon Hetrick, city of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department director, has said the city has a waiver from the Tennessee Department of Health to allow the pool to operate in this manner. He said that waiver could be pulled at any time.
As reported earlier in The Oak Ridger, the city manager has said the city is exploring options to upgrade the pool as needed while retaining the original configuration.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed.
Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing. Offers available at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Opening of the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool could be delayed
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