KINGSPORT — Legion Pool should reopen today and just in time for the nearly 100 degree temperatures the Model City is expected to suffer from this weekend.
Legion Pool has been closed since Monday as Kingsport’s Public Works Department repaired a section of pipe in the pump house with massive amounts of leaking — nearly 93,000 gallons of water a day since earlier this month.
Initially, crews thought welding would repair the 12-inch cast iron pipe, but as the job got under way parts had to be ordered (two pieces of pipe and related materials), which took a little longer than expected. Work wrapped up Wednesday, and that evening Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department officials began filling up the pool, said Director Kitty Frazier.
“We filled it up all (Wednesday) night and (on Thursday). The water department came by to look at the replacement parts to make sure everything was stabilized. Then we added the chemicals and filtered out the debris,” Frazier said. “We were able to repair the pipe, and it seems to be working fine.”
Frazier said if all goes well the pool will be open for lap swimming and regular pool hours today (Friday), but not for swim lessons. The department had already made other arrangements for swim lessons in light of this week’s repairs.
“We don’t anticipate major things happening. It looks good, the water is clearing, and I’m happy and comfortable at the moment,” Frazier said.
Parks and recreation officials will monitor and watch the water usage to see if there are any other issues to deal with. In an unrelated matter, Frazier said the department would have to replace a broken valve near the baby pool, which would not affect pool operations.
The cost of the repairs has not been determined at this time.
Since June 9, the daily loss of water had grown from 55,000 gallons per day to nearly 93,000. Typically, the 37-year-old pool loses around 30,000 gallons of water a day due to leaks, evaporation and water splashing out of the pool.
Legion Pool typically generates approximately $3,200 a week. With the facility closed for four days, that amounts to a roughly $1,800 loss in revenue.
To fill Legion Pool costs between $5,000 and $6,000, and for the first month of operation this year, the facility had a $9,000 water bill. Next month, the amount could be three times as much.