Officials in a Minnesota city have gathered funds to fix a community pool that's leaking thousands of gallons of water per day.
City workers in Crystal noticed a few years ago that the main pool at the Crystal Cove Aquatic Center was losing about 18,000 gallons each day. Crystal recreation director John Elholm told KARE-TV that the city hired a consultant in 2021 to investigate the water loss at the aquatic center.
The consultant discovered a leak in the main pool that would need to be fixed, or the pool would need to close. The city conducted a phone survey with 400 residents, and Elholm said that 85 percent of the respondents said the pool should be fixed.
"We did a lot of public engagement to find out what does the community think about this,” Elholm said, as reported by KARE-TV.
A survey online showed an even higher number, with 95 percent of respondents supporting the idea of using taxpayer money to fix the pool.
Elholm said between 400 and 600 kids receive swimming lessons at the pool every year and most of them don't even live in Crystal.
"Our lessons draw from all over this area. Over 60 percent of our use comes from outside of Crystal,” Elholm said.
The city – which was investing $3 million in the fix — also asked the state legislature for funds. State lawmakers approved $2.35 million in the bonding bill.
Elholm said that although the pool is leaking, it will stay open this summer, so kids and their parents can have a safe place to swim.
Over the next couple of months, city officials will go over plans to find the most efficient way possible to fix this pool, KARE-TV reported.
Elholm said the city is looking to start construction on the project next year.
