CALHOUN: CCSPA raising money to locate pool leak

By Editor | June 29, 2022 |

Pool-goers enjoy the opening day of the Calhoun County swimming pool. The Calhoun Community Swimming Pool Association (CCSPA) has begun a campaign to raise funds to find the source of a leak. The total cost of repairs won’t be known until the pool is assessed. (Caitlin R. King/Calhoun News-Herald)

By Carissa Sitki

The beloved Calhoun County swimming pool in Hardin is suffering from a leak that has gotten worse over the years, leaving the future of the pool hanging in the balance.
Locating the leak has not been an easy task, according to the Calhoun Community Swimming Pool Association (CCSPA), who have been trying to determine the source for a while.
CCSPA member Craig Johnson said the severity of the problem is unknown, so they aren’t yet sure of what will need to be done to get the pool fixed.
“We aren’t sure how big the issue is yet,” he said. “Once we get someone out here, hopefully they can give us a better idea about what we’ll be looking at in terms of repairs.”
This week, the CCSPA created a Facebook campaign to raise $1,000 and as of Tuesday afternoon, had already raised $2,715. Johnson said that the repairs will likely be quite expensive and will depend upon what’s causing the leak.
“I imagine the $1,000 will just be a down payment for this kind of thing,” said Johnson. “Pool repairs can get very expensive.”
Johnson said that the source of the leak could be in the water lines or the pool’s basin, or some combination of the two. He added that the cost of a pool liner would be somewhere around $30-40,000.
“If we continue to use the current pool, we’ll need a liner at some point anyway,” said Johnson.
Opening in the late summer of 1989, the Calhoun Swimming Pool is nearly 33-years-old, and according to Johnson public pools typically only have a lifespan of 20-25 years.
“The cost to build a new one would be extremely high,” said Johnson. “Over a million dollars which would be very difficult to accomplish for a community of this size.”
The pool remains open to swimmers, despite the issue, and, according to Johnson, the water looks good and the chemicals are correct so there is no need to close.
“We’re open now and the water looks great, we just don’t know how long the fun is going to last, so that’s why we’re scrambling to get it looked at,” said Johnson. “It’s safe to swim in, we just need to get the leak addressed soon since it’s gotten so much worse.”
The CCSPA Facebook campaign put out the following message, pleading for assistance:
“As everyone knows, the Calhoun County pool has been suffering from a severe leak that has not yet been found. Without emergency funds, the existence of the pool is threatened. I created this fundraiser to help raise money to find the leak. The Calhoun County pool provides a safe environment for children to spend their summers and has been a place where all of us have made many special memories. Please help support our local pool!”
Facebook takes care of the donation processing with no fees.
The pool remains open from 12 to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with free swimming days held throughout the summer. Follow the Calhoun Swimming Pool Facebook page for updates.