The Town of High River will start work on fixing the pool at the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex in the next few days.

They've added $225,000 to their capital budget to fix the electrical problem that's had the pool closed down since the beginning of September.

The Town's Director of Engineering, Planning and Operations, Reiley McKerracher says they should be able to open the pool early in the new year.

"Based on the tenders in our project time lines, we expect to have the work done the first week in February. I mean once they get in and they start chipping the concrete and digging and pulling all the tile off and pulling all the wire out and putting in new wire. I mean, it is an old facility. You never know what kind of surprises you'll get until you open it up."

Grounding wires running under the pool weren't working properly and posed a real threat of electrocution to swimmers, forcing the shut-down.

McKerracher, says they originally budgeted $50,000, but that was just to determine how much the final cost would be.

"Using the actual numbers from the tender, we needed an addition $225,000 to complete the work. The original $50,000 was approved with the intent of design only and essentially this (the $225,000) is a construction budget."

McKerracher, says the wiring problems were a maintenance issue that didn't get regular enough attention.

In a release, the Town also says they'll be installing some new lighting features.

Along with the grounding work, new underwater lighting to provide an additional safety measure for lifeguards to see below the water’s surface, repairs to fix small leaks and concrete degradation of the pool tank, and installation of safety equipment under the pool deck will also be completed.

“This remediation work and additional ‘little fixes’ will help us extend the lifespan of the pool for next little while as we begin to implement a new asset management program,” says McKerracher. “As well, the 10-year capital budget, being discussed with Council in early December, will provide us with a better understanding of how we will save for and prioritize the bigger ticket items like a brand new or upgraded aquatics centre.”

He says the one positive to all this is the pool won't have to undergo it's usual fall closure this year as they'll get all the maintenance out of the way now.

 

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