PAHOA, Hawaii – The Pahoa Aquatic Center improvement project is nearly complete, and the facility is tentatively scheduled to reopen to the public on Monday, August 26.

The project’s schedule originally estimated completion by the end of July. However, due to the recent discovery of unforeseeable existing conditions and some minor weather delays, the project will require approximately an additional month to complete.

Installation of the pool’s new main pumps necessitated testing all existing metallic pool accessories installed around the pool’s edge to ensure compliance with the Electrical Code’s “equipotential bonding” requirements. This testing revealed that certain items no longer exhibited the continuity necessary to successfully reduce voltage gradients in the pool area. While it is unclear why the items lost their bonding, the condition must be resolved before the pool can be refilled and reopened. Pump installation and testing occurred near the end of the project, which is why the matter was not discovered sooner.

The $1.55 million invested in this project provides for an expanded equipment building, allowing the pool’s new pumps to be placed below the pool’s operating water level. This modification will make it easier to restart the pool’s circulation system in the event of an electrical outage. Work also involved repairing leaks that had caused significant water loss and further aggravated the pool’s circulation system following longer-duration power interruptions.

Other improvements include the installation of roof-mounted solar heating panels to help warm the pool water, a new variable-frequency drive to manage the pump motors more efficiently and reduce energy consumption, and various repairs and safety upgrades to the facility.

While the pool is closed, Department of Parks and Recreation personnel are addressing miscellaneous maintenance needs and repair issues that were not part of the project’s scope.

The Department of Parks and Recreation apologizes for this inconvenience, and thanks swimmers, other pool users and the general public for their patience and understanding while this critical work is performed.

New operating hours will take effect once the pool is reopened. Weekday hours will be 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The pool will be opened weekends from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Novice Swim Team registration will be held from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, at the Pāhoa Aquatic Center. A water aerobics class starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday, September 4.

For additional pool information, please call Cassandra at 965-2700.