Another update just in from the city regarding what started as 3 (projected) weeks of federally mandated drain-upgrade work at Southwest Pool and now has turned into 2+ months including repairs for a previously undetected problem – read on:

Southwest Pool, 2801 SW Thistle St., will remain closed at least through Tuesday, October 28. Parks and Recreation regrets that all swim programs are canceled through that date. Current lesson participants will receive a credit on their accounts for the canceled classes.

During a maintenance closure to comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (http://www.poolsafety.gov/), which calls for new drain covers, Parks plumbers discovered a break in a pipe under the pool deck. A contractor used a robotic camera to pinpoint the location of the leak, and is attempting to fix the leak without excavating the pool deck.

The contractor plans a unique fix for the leak that involves a *sleeve* lining the pipe that bonds to the pipe*s interior and seals the break. As soon as the customized sleeve arrives (it needs to be custom made because of 90-degree angles and changes in the diameter of the pipe), the contractor will begin installation.

After allowing time for the sleeve to inflate, cure, and bond to the interior of the pipe, Parks staff will undertake the Virginia Graeme Baker drain replacement work, pressure wash the pool, fill it, and heat it. Barring any other unanticipated problems, the pool will reopen on Wednesday, October 28.