HomeMy WebLinkAboutPahoa Aquatic Center Reopening Set for August 26, 2013
Clayton S. Honma
William P. Kenoi
Director
Mayor
Robert A. Fitzgerald
Deputy Director
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
(808) 961-8311 Fax (808) 961-8411
PRESS RELEASE
July 31, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pāhoa Aquatic Center Reopening Set for August 26
The Pāhoa Aquatic Center improvement project is nearly complete, and the facility is tentatively scheduled to
reopen to the public on Monday, August 26.
The project’s schedule originally estimated completion by the end of July. However, due to the recent discovery of
unforeseeable existing conditions and some minor weather delays, the project will require approximately an
additional month to complete.
Installation of the pool’s new main pumps necessitated testing all existing metallic pool accessories installed around
the pool’s edge to ensure compliance with the Electrical Code’s “equipotential bonding” requirements. This testing
revealed that certain items no longer exhibited the continuity necessary to successfully reduce voltage gradients in
the pool area. While it is unclear why the items lost their bonding, the condition must be resolved before the pool
can be refilled and reopened. Pump installation and testing occurred near the end of the project, which is why the
matter was not discovered sooner.
The $1.55 million invested in this project provides for an expanded equipment building, allowing the pool’s new
pumps to be placed below the pool’s operating water level. This modification will make it easier to restart the pool’s
circulation system in the event of an electrical outage. Work also involved repairing leaks that had caused significant
water loss and further aggravated the pool’s circulation system following longer-duration power interruptions.
Other improvements include the installation of roof-mounted solar heating panels to help warm the pool water, a
new variable-frequency drive to manage the pump motors more efficiently and reduce energy consumption, and
various repairs and safety upgrades to the facility.
While the pool is closed, Department of Parks and Recreation personnel are addressing miscellaneous maintenance
needs and repair issues that were not part of the project’s scope.
The Department of Parks and Recreation apologizes for this inconvenience, and thanks swimmers, other pool users
and the general public for their patience and understanding while this critical work is performed.
New operating hours will take effect once the pool is reopened. Weekday hours will be 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The pool
will be opened weekends from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Novice Swim Team registration will be held from 3 p.m. to 4
p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, at the Pāhoa Aquatic Center. A water aerobics class starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday,
September 4.
For additional pool information, please call Cassandra at 965-2700.
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County of Hawai‘i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.