ORIGINAL 11:14 AM REPORT: West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool, Southwest Pool, has been closed for three weeks while its drain system is upgraded to meet new federally mandated safety standards, and was scheduled to reopen Monday; we just checked with the Parks Department to see if that’s still the plan – and spokesperson Karen O’Connor tells us there’s in fact a new reopening date: September 21st, a week from Monday:

Currently, they are finishing up the work and will run tests on Monday, September 14th. We will have a better idea if the opening on the 21st is firm following the tests on Monday the 14th.

In the meantime, since outdoor Colman Pool is now closed till next year, your swimming options in West Seattle are limited to private pools; the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) is one of them, and does sell day passes.

2:42 PM UPDATE: Got additional information from SW Pool’s assistant coordinator Matt Richardson, as well as this photo (his explanation is below it):

I thought I would provided a bit of insight into why the closure is running longer than expected.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) closures have been a challenge for our maintenance personnel. Every site has had its unique elements. Southwest is no different.

Prior to the closure, our engineer and lead pool operator submitted plans and construction drawings to the health department for approval. The permits were issued based on the original construction blueprints. The plan was to use the existing drain sump and attach the new VGBA compliant covers. When the pool shell was opened up, the drain sumps did not match the original blueprints. This required our engineer to design new poured in place concrete sumps and re-submit the drawings to the health department.

The new permit came through in the afternoon of Tuesday, September 8th. Our plumbers have been working feverishly this week. The cement crews should be starting on Monday with pouring new sumps and plastering. The cement requires a couple of days cure time. It takes about 5 days to fill and heat the pool up to our usual 85 degrees F. That puts us opening on Monday September 21st.

A quick note for all of our current lesson participants. The lesson session that was scheduled to begin on September 16th is delayed. We plan on starting lessons on Wednesday September 23rd. All of the currently enrolled participants will have the fees for the missed classes credited onto their accounts.

Our estimate of re-opening on September 21st is based on everything going on as planned. We will update the latest information regarding the opening date on our voicemail and our pool schedule page at
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/aquatics/Pools/southwest/schedule.htm

Thank you for understanding as we work to comply with the new federally mandated codes that resulted from the VGBA.

Sincerely,

Matthew Richardson, Assistant Coordinator
Seattle Parks – Southwest Pool