Pool Band-Aid: Spend $61K, Open by July 4th

Maybe the Nazareth Boro-Park Pool won't be closed for the 2013 season after all.

The Nazareth Borough Council—and a packed house of 75 residents—heard from a consultant at Thursday night's work session that a quick fix could have the pool operational by July 4th.

The pool was slated to open May 25 for Memorial Day weekend, but a decision was made to close it for the year due to a failing filtration system.

Ted Wallover of Wallover Architects—which specializes in municipal pools—gave a two-hour presentation, which included questions from council members and residents.

Wallover outlined to attendees why the pool was closed and what some solutions may be.

And the biggest was a suggestion that by spending around $61,000, the borough could get the pool open by the Fourth of July.

Wallover said work would have to be done to fix pipes and get the water flow going again. It would have to do it with drilling holes to connect two lines to the balance tank to ensure a six-hour mandated turnover regarding water flow.

He said the short-term fix might appease residents. But Wallover isn't recommending it because it's unknown whether underground pipes would be able to handle the new water flow.

And if they broke, that would shut down the pool for the season and further delay when a new pool could be built.

"It might be like throwing money down the drain," he said.

He said the borough was able to enjoy 74 years of continuous service from the oval-shaped pool, but that age caught up to it.

According to Wallover:

• The pool went beyond its useful lifespan.
• Major renovation/replacement is inevitable.
• New codes mandate changes.

So where does the borough go from here? Well, that will be decided at Monday's council meeting.

Wallover has suggested: Replacing the pool and bathhouse, renovating the existing pool, establishing a pool budget, utilizing state-of-the-art filters, determining alternate pool options for residents and figuring out if a new pool should be made of concrete or stainless steel.