Maple Ridge pool reopens 3 weeks after metal wires found in water
Pool will remain open for rest of the year instead of closing for maintenance in August, September: city
The Maple Ridge Leisure Centre's aquatic facility reopened Monday after being closed for nearly three weeks after metal wires were discovered in the water.
The centre's pools have been cleaned and all metal debris was removed, according to a news release from the City of Maple Ridge.
"We appreciate the patience of the community and our regular pool users as we worked as quickly as possible to address the metal debris found in some pool tanks." said Stephane Labonne, general manager at Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation & Culture, in the written statement.
He added that the pool will remain open for the rest of the year instead of closing for a scheduled four-week maintenance in August and September. Labonne said staff were able to get the regular maintenance work done during the emergency closure.
Pool indefinitely closed in June
One of the centre's pools was first closed the week of June 20 after tiny metal wires were discovered in the water. The pool was drained, cleaned and given magnetic sweeps to remove remaining particles.
However, more metal debris was discovered in the lane pool, leisure pool and hot tub on June 29, and the entire aquatic facility was closed indefinitely.
During the emergency closure, maintenance staff inspected the ceiling beams and high ducts and found five beams with metal debris and residue from cables connected to the decommissioned overhead speaker system, according to the news release.
The debris was removed, all of the pools were drained, and a full magnetic sweep was done followed by a power-wash of the pool tanks. The pool decks, sauna, steam room, storage rooms and walkways were also cleaned, according to the municipality.
During the closure, maintenance crews accelerated the work typically completed during a scheduled, annual shutdown including grouting touch-ups on the pool deck, painting and a deep cleaning of the aquatics area and program equipment.
The municipality said city staff have reached out to all customers who had scheduled programming that was impacted by the emergency closure to offer refunds or to reschedule where possible.