Memorial Pool will open on schedule

The Memorial Pool is on schedule to open June 13 and operate for the full season, despite running on temporary repairs from last summer.

There will be no change in operations, according to Recreation Director Chris Fitzgerald.

“As of Monday, June 1, [the pool] is running and operating,” he said. “There’s chlorine in there, which is past where we were last year. I fully expect us to open on time.”

Last year, the season was delayed by two weeks because the pool pumps had been ruined. The two pumps, updated in a renovation three years ago, were so strong that they were working against each other, according to Fitzgerald. When the Recreation Department turned them on, back pressure broke the system.

“It was last summer that everything went off the rails,” Fitzgerald said. “[The pipes] essentially destroyed each other.”

Rehabilitating the pumps delayed the season by two weeks.. The repaired pumps are at the same strength, so only one is needed to run at a time. After the fix, there were no other problems, according to Fitzgerald.

Even running on one pump, the pool was able to meet the state’s sanitary code requirements for water turnover. Water in a pool has to be turned over every eight hours – the pumps pull the water out, after which it is filtered before being sent back into the pool.

In March, the town solicited bids for new pumps. Fitzgerald said the response took as long as it did because putting together the specifics was complicated by a change in department employees.

“The technicals and the specifics took so long to pull together,” he said. “We also had a turnover in the facility department, which delayed some of the process.”

Undertaking the construction now would have delayed opening until August, according to Fitzgerald. Instead, work on the new system will begin in the fall. The pool will continue to run using one pump, with the other reserved as a backup.

“As soon as we shut down in August, we’re going to have the contractors come in and get to work,” Fitzgerald said.

This summer, the season will run from June 13 to Aug. 23, with a chance to be extended to Aug. 30 depending on staff availability. Information about membership is available on the town website at westonma.gov/1142/Memorial-Pool-Season.