PORT HARDY – The hot tub at the pool is getting a makeover.
The whirlpool at the swimming pool has been leaking for some time and is too small for the number of people using it, said a report commissioned by the Port Hardy Recreation Centre.
“The existing pool, piping and equipment gaskets are leaking in various locations,” said the report from Rockingham Pool Consulting. “The pool system requires the continual addition of fresh water, therefore constant chemical adjustments are required to maintain a proper balance. This … results in increased operational costs, including heating and chemical use.”
The report outlines three options to replace the hot tub. The first two would simply replace the existing shell liner with a new one, either flush with the pool deck or on the existing raised platform. The third is to replace the whirlpool with a concrete pool flush with the main pool deck.
Recreation foreman Gordon Wolden recommended council approve the concrete option even though it is slightly more expensive at $40,000.
However, the concrete pool would have a life span of about 40 years whereas the other options would be good for only 15 to 25 years.
Council agreed with Wolden and passed the new whirlpool as an early budget item to allow time to find funding and make preparations for the work to be done.
