Boulder City pool to reopen after $150,000 renovation

Jean Reid Norman

Boulder City Aquatics Coordinator Sheri O’Berto, right, points out the new granite coping stones to residents Marillea and Al Hamel during a hard hat tour of the newly renovated pool. The indoor pool reopens on Oct. 19.

By Jean Reid Norman

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 | 1:55 a.m.

Jean Reid Norman

Boulder City Aquatics Coordinator Sheri O'Berto points out the bottom of the outdoor dive pool to resident Angela Smith during a tour of the pool Oct. 13. The pool surfaces were replastered, filtration systems repaired and new coping stones installed. The indoor pool reopens Oct. 19.

Renovation of the Boulder City Municipal Pools is nearly complete, and the main pool, now covered with an air bubble for winter use, is ready to reopen Monday.

Aquatics Coordinator Sheri O’Berto gave hardhat tours of the pools Tuesday, pointing out to curious residents the new copestones around the edges and smooth plaster on the bottom of the main pool and the outdoor kiddie and diving pools, which will remain closed until May.

The other key part of the renovation work was not as visible but equally important, O’Berto said. The surge trenches, which catch the water when it overflows into the slits of the copestones, were repaired and resealed. That is bound to reduce the amount of water the pools use by reducing leakage and reduce the stress on the filtration system, which has had to screen out rust and fine sand that would leach into the water from the formerly rough and aging surfaces, she said.

The $150,000 renovation was paid for through a federal Housing and Urban Development grant that had to be spent by Sept. 30. All that remains of the renovation, O’Berto said, is some minor repair work on the diving pool deck.

Marillea Hamel, who has attended water aerobics four days a week since 1997, said she was excited to get back into the water.

“My bones miss it,” she said. “The bones don’t move when they haven’t been exercised good, and there is nothing better than water for that.”

Pool staff members have been calling regulars to let them know the classes will resume Monday and are taking registration.

Resident Angela Smith has been walking to try to fill the exercise gap. She attended the water aerobics four days a week and used the open swim time two additional days, she said.

“I’m very excited. I’ve missed the pool,” Smith said.

She admired the new look of the pool, with solid granite, smooth copestones and a bottom of new, white plaster instead of the old, yellowed surface.

“We missed the pool, but really the work had to be done,” she said.

The pool will be open Monday through Saturday with the following hours:

• Monday through Thursday — 6:30-10 a.m., adult lap swim; noon-1:30 p.m., open swim; 5:15-7:30 p.m., open swim.

• Friday — 6:30-9 a.m., adult lap swim; 4:45-7:30 p.m., open swim.

• Saturday — 9 a.m.-2 p.m., open swim.