Percy Walker Pool Renovations Update
March 4, 2010
A lot of progress has been made during the last week at the Percy Walker Pool. The stairs in the shallow end have been completed except for being tiled. The floor drains and gutter drains have also been finished and concrete have been put on the floor. Tile is ready to be put around this area.
A new federal law requires our pool to install new anti suction drain covers. This law came to pass due to a tragic incident involving a Maryland girl who was trapped at the bottom of a pool in Maryland. She became trapped because the suction was so great at the bottom of the pool and could not remove herself and subsequently drowned. There is a picture of the website of the newly installed concrete champus which will also carry two new anti suction drain covers, approved by the state of Massachusetts. This concrete addition has been poured and is ready for tile.
We have been told that the pool windows that will be facing the athletic fields have been delivered to the installer and we hope to see them stalled in the next few days. The pool is also receiving a brand new electrical service to the building. That work should be finished by the end of this week. If you drive down Alden Street you will see an open trench with large cement vaults being stalled. These contain the new electrical conduits.
Nearly all the sheet rock and cement board have been installed in every area of the facility and you can really see the rooms taking shape.
Ceramic tile has been delivered to the pool and that contractor should begin work any day now. In the basement where many of the “guts” of the pool operation are located much activity has been completed. New filter drains have been completely plumbed, new water heaters have been installed upon freshly poured concrete pads, the pool’s boiler is being installed today and a new backwash pit has been completed and is ready for opening.
Looking forward, we anticipate the pool itself to have staging placed next week. This staging will completely incase the pool itself and give it a plywood floor at what used to be the water level. Staging will then be place on top of this floor so that contractors can paint the ceiling, remove old pool lights, install sprinkler work, install HVAC heating ventilating and air conditioning conduits, etc… this work will take several weeks.
Finally, as you may have been reading in the local media, a new fee schedule has been approved by the Board of Selectmen. At next weekend’s Town Meeting we will be asking the resident’s to approve Mass Gen Law that provides for an Enterprise Fund. I know that everyone is anxious for an actual opening date, but at this time that is very much a moving target. Please be assured that everyone involved with the project is working as hard as possible to get the building opening as soon as possible. But I will not support opening the building until I am confident that the project has been completed to the Town’s standards and that we can operate our facility and maintain our swimming pool water in first class fashion.
Gordon H. Cushing
Recreation Director
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