Brennan Park Aquatic Centre to close for annual maintenance

The Brennan Park Aquatic Centre will be closed for annual maintenance from September 9 to October 3, 2015.  This maintenance is planned annually and is required to protect our assets and prolong their life. 

During the shutdown the pools are drained.  Prior to draining, the chlorine is neutralized to avoid any negative environmental impact.

Effect on our water supply:

The District has considered the impact of draining and re-filling the pool following the maintenance period, in relation to this summer’s water restrictions. In assessing the long-term benefit of the annual maintenance program versus the impact on our water supply, the draw on the water supply in September is not consequential in the bigger picture.

The amount of water required to refill the pool is 950 cubic metres, which is 7.7% of a typical day’s water consumption in Squamish in August. The pools will be re-filled over four days, so the approximate impact per day is less than +2% on our water system.

Squamish is reliant on a groundwater source for its water supply which delivers relatively reliable year-round supply, and is far less variable in comparison to communities that rely on surface water sources and reservoirs. Outdoor water use in Squamish does sky rocket during the hot months of July and August, and water restrictions are placed to combat those peak day and peak hour demands in usage that stress the system and could trigger costly infrastructure upgrades.

Maintenance includes:

• Routine maintenance such as scrubbing and cleaning the tiles and grout, cleaning out the light housings, checking for broken or damaged tiles, checking grates and filters etc. 
• Re grouting much of the pool basins in all 3 pools (phase 2 of a project that began last year). The grout has deteriorated over the years and needs to be replaced to prolong the life of the tiles and allow for the grout to be clean and sanitary.
• Replacing underwater lights with LED lights, making the pool brighter and improving the ability for life guards to see into the pool.
• Replacing the expansion joint in the main pool  which has deteriorated and is quite likely leaking water.

The pool will resume regular operations on Sunday, October 4. For more information about the annual maintenance please visit our FAQ at squamish.ca/pool. 

August 27, 2015