The Penticton Community Centre pool welcomed patrons back on Monday but repairs are still taking place on the leisure pool.
The main pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room are all open for use during regular fall hours, but while the tile replacement project was taking place staff noticed some drainage issues in the leisure pool. Simone Blais, communications officer for the City of Penticton, said the pool staff were filling up the pools on Thursday so the water could be treated in preparation or the re-opening when they noticed the leisure pool had drained a little.
“Investigation was done and it was found some of the drain (pipe) had cracked requiring additional maintenance,” said Blais. “It is difficult to tell what caused the cracks but they were in the same spot some tile damage was found following a June earthquake.”
On June 18 a 2.45 magnitude earthquake was confirmed to have hit Penticton at 4:45 p.m. by Natural Resources Canada.
Blais said at this point it is too early to determine if the earthquake and the damage to the fibreglass drain pipes are connected. They are waiting for additional engineering assessments to get a professional opinion for the best remediation solutions before the pool will be refilled.
The pool was closed in July to replace all the tiles after they were found to be unsafe. The tiles were too large to provide adequate grip for pool users’ bare feet. The cost to maintain a slip-resistant condition on the tiles was estimated to be $79,000 annually. City council decided to replace all the tiles instead. The cost rang in at $300,000.
“Everyone has been really patient and we thank them for their support during the renovations so we can get everyone back to their regular swim routines,” said Blais. “We are trying to accommodate all the programming for the leisure pool and swim lessons and aqua fit have not been affected. Those are being held in the main pool which we are adjusting the temperature of the water and modifying classes so everyone feels safe and comfortable.”
The waterslide will remain closed while work is being done to the leisure pool. The main pool is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends.