BYRON — Byron's 26-year-old community swimming pool has closed after broken water pipes were discovered, including one that is estimated to be losing 4,000 gallons of water daily.
The pool is closed until officials can determine a repair plan for the repairs, said Mary Blair-Hoeft, city administrator, in an email. An estimate of concrete, pipe and skimmer repairs could run as high as $53,000. The pool shutdown comes as Byron and the rest of the region are expected to hit temperatures in the mid- to high-80s through the week.
During the July 4 holiday weekend, Hoeft met with Brad Thatcher of Thatcher Pools, who felt the past winter weather caused the lines to crack. Even with proper winterization of the pipes, the lack of snow cover over extremely dry ground followed by the wet spring and temperature fluctuations were contributing factors. Thatcher estimated one of the cracks was leaking about 4,000 gallons of water each day.
Fixing the pipes would involve tearing up the concrete around the pool and the plumbing work and concrete replacement were estimated to cost about $35,000. There is about a two-week delay in getting concrete work done, also because of the wet spring.
The pool also needs some – if not all – of its 12 skimmers replaced at a cost of about $1,500 each.
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In March, the city council approved hiring of USAquatics to assess the pool's condition and survey the "aquatic needs and wants" of residents. Its report is not yet complete.
A group of residents serve on the city's pool committee, which has been meeting for several months to discuss options, including building a new pool at the current location or at a different location.
