The Swift Current Aquatic Centre is trying to stay above water. 

During Monday's city council meeting, a presentation was brought forward, detailing the need for more repairs at the Aquatic Centre, this time coming threefold. 

Presiding the matter before city council was Melissa Shaw, the general manager of cultural and aquatic services. She was able to relay the bad news while highlighting just how important it is to keep up with the repairs. 

"The Aquatic Centre is one of the most utilized facilities in the city," said Shaw. "Daily users include two swim clubs, special needs individuals, school groups, and our community members."

The top of the list for repairs, and the key element of her presentation, was the Makeup Air Units, which have begun to fail. These units exchange air from outside the facility with air inside the facility. When they begin to fail, they slow down the rate of exchange, leading to more humid conditions inside. The more humid the air is, the more difficult it can be to breathe for folks with asthma and other respiratory illnesses or conditions. 

"The units fail in extreme winter temperatures," revealed Shaw. "Resulting in outside air flowing through the units to mic with the humidity on the pool deck."

When that happens, fog can even begin to form inside the facility. 

Len's Plumbing and Heating was awarded the contract to fix the units, for a total amount of a little over $272,400. 

There was also the matter of the pool needing concrete work, and a new rubber lining. 

"Unfortunately, cement deteriorates over time," said Shaw. "We have worked over the years to patch the tile and grout. Given the age of the pool, we are going to have to make some bigger decisions moving into the next few years."

More yet needs work, as another element was highlighted during an inspection. The pool skimmers recently failed to pass inspection, as they are starting to age out. 

"A couple of them are just dated," said Shaw. "It was noted through a public health inspection that it's something we need to work on, and the staff is working to make sure that those are 100 per cent up to code right now."

Pool Skimmers run along the water surface, removing bits of debris and refuse. This helps keep the pool clean, lessens the work on the filters, and prevents filth from building up. 

The pool opened in 1981 and is currently the only facility of its kind. The City of Swift Current has begun the process of applying for grants and funding to build a new Aquatic Centre. Should those efforts be successful, the worries surrounding the existing Aquatic Centre will lessen. 

"We're just trying to do our best to keep an aging facility operating," said Shaw. "We really thank the public for their patience while we work through some of these challenges. We know that it's not always ideal to have pool closures, and we're really doing our due diligence to try and prevent that from happening. 

 

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