Kids love it, but unless significant repairs are made to the White Salmon swimming pool, the pool will not open in 2008.
In another dire infrastructure report, White Salmon Public Works Director Mike Wellman said the city's swimming pool will not be open unless improvements are made.
With a shocking revelation during the Sept. 5 meeting of the White Salmon City Council, Wellman said the pool is losing about 30,000 gallons of water every day when it is in use during the summer months.
"That might be enough water for 50 residential customers," Wellman commented.
The pool holds about 110,000 gallons of water when full.
Wellman added that besides the wasted water, the city also has to pay more to heat the pool because cold water has to be added to it constantly.
"Our gas bill went up by a factor of two or three this year because we're heating water coming in all the time," Wellman said. "And pool chemicals are being wasted too. It's water we're not getting the benefit of, but worse than that, it's costing us to waste it."
Wellman estimated that the cost to heat the lost water amounts to an additional $2,000-$3,000 per month in gas bills. He also pointed out that the leakage creates a very inefficient system.
"Pool chemicals are wasted going into the ground with the leaking water, as well as the fact that proper levels of disinfectant and pH are very difficult to maintain at desired levels," Wellman reported.
Tom Smith, foreman for the Public Works Department, said the problem is not going away.
"This year it's gotten a lot worse," said Smith. "Historically, we were losing about six gallons a minute. Now it's about 20 gallons a minute."
Wellman presented the City Council with a list of fixes he said the pool needs before it can open next year, and he said he had estimated a price tag of about $37,000.
"First, we need to drain the pool and inspect the piping, pumps, and valves," he explained. "If we don't find obvious defects that say, `wow, this is where the problem is coming from,' then we want to excavate about 600 cubic yards of material and replace piping."
Wellman said it appears that the pool is "structurally sound," and pointed out that it appears to be losing the most water when the pumps are going.
"That points a finger at the plumbing," Smith said.
According to Wellman, the leakages are occurring between the concrete pit wall and the pool wall, which is a distance of about seven or eight feet.
"This would be a bit like exploratory surgery," Wellman explained. "We're not sure what we're going to find. Other issues are possible, because it's an old structure. My goal is to get the pool in position to open and operate it in 2008. I don't think we can open the pool the way it is."
"No," agreed council member Timi Keene.
Smith explained that the pool was built in 1929, and needs upgrading and renovation.
"It's something we haven't dealt with enough," he said.
Council member John Mayo said he appreciated Wellman's review of the condition of the city's pool.
"This is a very reasonable way you're handling it. I think we should move forward with this plan," Mayo said.
Mayo recommended that city crews proceed with the first two of as many of nine steps outlined in Wellman's recommendations: Drain the pool and inspect it for cracks and structural defects; and inspect the piping, pumps, and valves used during normal pool operations.
"Proceed with one and two and come back to council before any excavation," Mayo suggested.
The City Council then voted 5-0 to proceed with the first phase of pool repairs.
Mayor Francis Gaddis said he too supported the repair plan.
"I think Mike's plan is very good and very reasonable in cost," Gaddis said.
Gaddis added that for many years, he installed swimming pools.
"I did this work for 30 years, and I've built some of the largest pools in California. I know what he (Wellman) is talking about," Gaddis said.
Other proposed steps would include: excavating the concrete, soils, and piping on the southeast corner of the pool between the pool wall and the equipment room; repairing and replacing piping, and plugging and sealing where the pipe is routed through the concrete; and pouring a new slab of concrete over the excavated area.
Also, a new set of steps into the room where chlorine is added to the pool would be installed as part of the overall upgrading project.
In a Sept. 5 written report to the city, Wellman noted that even these steps would not solve all the problems.
"The fixes recommended in this report are still only a small portion of what should be done to make the pool last for the next 20 or 30 years. But, of course, any major new pool project will require much time and community effort," Wellman wrote.
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