Repairing the equipment that led to a prolonged closure of the pool at the Trail Aquatic and Leisure Centre this year cost the city about $25,000 in parts and labour.
City manager Colin McClure said in an email that while there was also a drop in revenue during the closure, those losses were more than offset by reduced costs.
The aquatic and fitness centres shut down for annual maintenance on Aug. 9. The fitness centre reopened on Aug. 25, while the pool was expected to reopen on Sept. 8, but the heat exchangers leaked on startup. Replacement parts had to be produced and shipped. The pool finally reopened on Nov. 12.
McClure said the parts cost about $20,000 and the installation cost another $5,000.
On the revenue side, admissions, swimming lessons, aquafit, and swim club rentals were down about $28,000. However, city staff have rescheduled swim lessons so that there will only be two fewer lessons than originally planned, which will limit the revenue loss.
The shutdown also meant about $32,000 in savings in things like heat, power, janitorial supplies, pool chemicals, and wages for lifeguards, swimming lesson and aquafit instructors.
McClure says this type of mechanical failure isn’t easily predicted or prevented.
“Mechanical systems like the system in the aquatic center involving complex pumps, filtration units, and heating components, can experience unforeseen issues when restarted,” he said.
“Factors such as age of equipment, hidden wear, and the stress of re-pressurizing systems can lead to failures that are not detectable during routine maintenance.”
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