Damage to Taumarunui pool worse than first thought

Bigger repairs needed to Taumarunui pool than first thought

Earthquake damage to the Taumarunui pool is worse than first thought requiring further, more major, repair work and delaying its opening until at least early February.

Council Team Leader Property said that Council had been in the process of filling the pool for a second time after needing to empty it and plug leaks identified following the Kaikoura earthquake.

On filling the pool, we found that it was still losing water at an unsustainable rate, she said.

Finding and repairing leaks in a pool this size is extremely difficult.

We have had a staff member diving down with a dye to try and identify where water may be leaking out along the pool seams however this was somewhat inconclusive.

Unfortunately, Council has needed to take the decision to drain the pool and undertake more extensive and expensive repair works which we were hoping to avoid at this time so we could have the pool open all summer.

Mrs. Van Orden said that Council was in discussion with the operators of the Taumarunui High School pool to see if we can offer access to that pool at the same cost as it would have been to swim at the Taumarunui pool.

There are however a number of considerations to work through including lifeguarding arrangements before we can confirm this.

The Taumarunui pool is very popular with the local kids over the long, hot days of summer so it's very unfortunate that we need to do this.

All going well we can get the pool fixed and open again by early February for the end of summer and the start of the school term, said Mrs. Van Orden.

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