Westport Pool will open to the public Saturday, June 29, 1-6:30 p.m., following successful repair of a major water leak.
The leak, found to be in both of the pool’s main drain boxes, postponed the Memorial Day weekend opening because the pool could not reach minimum capacity for the filtration system to operate.
Springfield-Greene County Park Board operations staff spent the next few weeks locating the source of the leak and making repairs. The solution came through reinforcing metal boxes around the drain and a technique called mud jacking, which involves drilling small holes in the pool shell and injecting a sealant beneath the shell surface. After several rounds of mud jacking, the pool is now holding water well enough to open.
While it took time for the seals to set and be tested, mud jacking was a quicker and far less expensive option compared to excavating and replacing the pool shell. Repairs at Westport cost about $10,000. Excavation and repairs for a leak that closed Meador Pool in 2015 cost about $153,000.
“We really appreciate everyone’s patience while we diagnosed and made repairs,” said Jon Carney, Superintendent of Operations. “I’m very proud of our staff for coming up with out-of-the-box solutions to the problem. It feels really good to get the pool open.”
Westport Pool was built in 1977 and renovated in 2012. While the renovation changed the layout of the pool, some of the underground infrastructure dates back to the 1970s. The pool holds about 136,000 gallons.
After opening, Westport Pool follows its regular schedule, open daily 1-6:30 p.m., closed Tuesdays, through Sun., Aug. 11. A full schedule is at ParkBoard.org/Aquatics.
Outdoor pool admission is $2.50/youth and seniors, $3/adults. Admission drops to $1 or is free with a canned food donation after 5:30 p.m. daily at outdoor pools only. Donations benefit Ozarks Food Harvest.
Detailed information about the Park Board’s pools, swimming lessons, pool rules, swim team and more is available in the 2019 Summer Aquatics program guide and at ParkBoard.org/Aquatics. For more information or weather cancellations, call the Aquatics Hotline at 417-864-2099.