The Phillipsburg Aquatic Center would like to update our community of the status of the leak and the progress of the therapy pool heater repairs. As many of you have heard the city indicated that there was a leak present in the outdoor pool which caused the early closing of the facility for the year. Throughout the summer the water had leaked into the underdrain system that in turn would go to the ditch on 7th street. Staff has been working to identify the source of the leak. Recently the staff has located an area believed to be the source. Additional testing will take place before any repairs are made. The city staff is using extreme caution to avoid any unnecessary damage to the facility. We will keep you informed of the progress.
Shortly after the outdoor pool was closed, the city’s therapy pool heater had issues. A contractor was brought in to exam the 7 years old system which is made up of an electrical heating unit with four heating elements. Three of the elements were bad and were not able to maintain the appropriate water temperature. The Contractor provided the City with estimates for repairs to this unit ($2,850). Estimates were also received to replace the unit with a new unit of like kind ($ 4,450). Staff evaluated the proposals and found that the cost of repair to the unit did not make sense. Additional research showed that the particular unit that was installed had a life expectancy of approximately four years. Staff and contractors researched additional options that provided a longer life of heating unit. The Contractor proposed a different unit that would be gas instead of electric. This unit is much more efficient than the electric unit and about half the price. The energy savings alone will pay for this system in 5 years.
The unit was purchased and upon delivery it was discovered the unit had been damaged during delivery. The contractor sent the unit back and ordered a replacement. The replacement unit has been delivered and installation is nearly complete. Plans are to have the water heated thru the weekend and normal operations will resume on Monday.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.