Holton swimming pool set to open Saturday

Concerns that the Holton Municipal Swimming Pool is still leaking will be alleviated by the time it opens for the summer 2016 season on Saturday, Holton Parks and Recreation Director Mike Reichle said this week.

The pool, which had been plagued by water leakage last summer and had apparently sprung a new leak earlier this year, is scheduled to open with a free public swim at noon on Saturday, it has been reported. However, Reichle noted that with the leak discovered last year being repaired, and the new leak on its way to being fixed, the pool should be in good shape for another summer.

“We’re looking to be ready to go by Saturday,” Reichle said. “We’ve identified all of our leaks, and some of them were caused by mechanical issues that we’re going to continue to watch.”

Prior to opening day last year, a leak was detected in the pool that was causing the historic pool to lose an inch to an inch and a half of water — about 3,000 gallons — per day, it was reported. That leak was eventually repaired.

Then, at the Holton City Commission’s most recent meeting on May 16, City Manager Bret Bauer noted that another leak had been discovered, and over the course of a single weekend, the pool had lost six inches of water.

Since then, Reichle noted, the likely cause of the new leak had been determined, and it is being repaired.

“We had a mechanical seal that went out in the pool pump, and that was causing a leak. That’s being repaired,” he said. “We found another leak in the system where there was some debris in one of the valves, and those valves were replaced. We’ve just got some wear on this old pool.”

The repairs will mean the pool is ready for this coming summer, and Reichle noted that several activities are planned for the pool, which will be open from noon to 9 p.m. daily with adult lap swimming set from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Emily Montgomery will return for her second year as pool manager, he added.

Swimming lessons have also been scheduled for this summer, with a pair of regular week-long sessions set to begin on June 13 and July 11. Registration deadlines for those sessions, at $25 per person per session, are June 9 for the first session and July 7 for the second session. Private swim courses are also available for a $35 fee, it was reported.

Swim fees are $1 for children under 5, $2 for students and $2.50 for adults. For city residents, season passes are $45 for individuals, $85 for families, $95 for families with babysitters, $110 for home daycare providers and $35 for senior citizens. For non-residents, the cost of those passes rises to $55, $100, $110, $125 and $45, respectively.

Swim lesson registration forms are available at Holton City Hall. For more information, call 364-5911.