For the past two years, officials from the Borough of Saint Clair have noticed water leaking from the community pool and, as a result, money draining from the borough's coffers.
"We suspected there was a leak two years ago. In 2012, our water usage costs at the pool were $3,500. In 2013, our water usage costs there were about $12,000. So we figured the leak got bigger," Roland Price Jr., Saint Clair borough secretary, said Tuesday.
The borough council isn't sure when the pool will open for the fast-approaching season.
The area swimming pool that will open first this year is Minersville Community Pool, opening for Memorial Day weekend, May 24, 25 and 26, then the weekend of May 31 and June 1. It will begin its daily hours starting June 7.
The Howard D. Buehler Memorial Pool, Tamaqua, and the JFK Pool in Pottsville will open May 31.
Most area swimming pools are also slated to open the first week of June. The Cressona Borough Pool will open June 2. The Porter/Tower Community Pool, Tower City, and Tremont Community Pool will open June 6. The Pine Grove Community Pool will open June 7. And the Frackville Community Pool will open June 14.
The first official day of summer is June 21, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac website at www.almanac.com.
The Saint Clair Pool on the far end of East Lawton Street was managed by the Saint Clair Swimming Pool Association in the mid-1950s. It was acquired by the Borough of Saint Clair in 1985, according to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator.
On an average day during the summer season, the 100,000-gallon pool can attract up to 300 people, Price said.
In April, the borough council hired Boyer Swimming Pools Inc., Millersburg, at a cost of $3,000 to determine the extent of the damage, Price said.
"They didn't come in yet. We're trying to get them in here as soon as possible, but unfortunately this is a busy time for them because they're opening other pools. As soon as they determine the extend of the damage, then we'll have to repair it and prep the pool for opening," Price said.
The council would like to open the pool this year, Price said.
"We're doing our best," he said.
Meanwhile, the Borough of Frackville is planning to repair "a big crack" in its pool, according to Councilwoman Karen Domalakes, who chairs the borough's Recreation Committee.
At the council's April meeting, Domalakes estimated the cost of repairs would be "about $600" if borough workers do the job.
Also at that meeting, the council increased the admission rates from $3 per person to $5 per person because of inflation, according to Domalakes.
At the council's May meeting held Wednesday, the council decided the pool would open for the season on June 14.
Meanwhile, in the City of Pottsville, three city workers recently painted the 572,000-gallon JFK Pool "snow white." They said they had to wear sunglasses and apply some sunscreen before applying more than 200 gallons of paint.
The reflection from the sun on the white surface was a challenge to deal with, Tom Whitaker, city parks foreman, said.
Dave Clark, a worker with the city streets department, and Whitaker worked on the project with Jack Carey, city truck driver. It took them three days last week to apply the first coat and one day, Monday, to do the second, Clark said.
"I burned through a whole can of sunblock between last week when we did the first coat and today," Clark said Monday afternoon, after the massive job was complete.
"We don't typically do this much, but we wanted to do it right. Generally, every year we paint whatever sections are necessary. This year we put two coats of paint on. We wanted to seal it up really good," Clark said. "We used rubberized paint," Whitaker said.
The city operates two public swimming pools at the JFK Recreation Complex at Railway Park, the 572,000-gallon JFK Pool and the 3,500-gallon kiddie pool.
For years, the city's been operating the recreation complex in the red. Its operating budget comes from the city's general fund. The city doesn't make a profit on the pool. Rather, it's a service to the community, Palamar said.
In 2012, it cost the city $175,092 to run the JFK Recreation Complex and the city collected $115,273 in revenue there, Palamar said. In 2013, it cost the city $184,700 to run the JFK Recreation Complex and the city collected $119,900 in revenue there.
INFO BOX:
Here is a list of community swimming pools in Schuylkill County, their times of operation and admission rates:
Cressona Borough Pool
Location: Graeff Street
Opens: June 2
Hours: 12:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday
Admission: Daily rates for residents: $4.25, adults; $3.50, students; $1.25, spectators; $1.50, seniors; swimming after 5 p.m., $2.25; children under 2, free
Information: Sara Shepherd, program coordinator at Blue Mountain Recreation, Orwigsburg, 570-366-1190
Frackville Community Pool
Location: Memorial Park
Opens: June 15
Hours: 12:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday
Admission: Daily rates for borough residents: $5 per person
Information: Borough Hall, 570-874-3860, and the borough's Facebook page
Howard D. Buehler Memorial Pool
Location: Tamaqua
Opens: May 31
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: For Tamaqua Area School District residents: Monday through Friday, swimmers age 6 and over, $5; Saturday and Sunday, swimmers 6 and over, $6; children 5 and under, $1 every day
Information: Borough Hall, 570-668-3444
Minersville Community Pool
Location: Fourth Street Recreation Complex
Opens: Memorial Day weekend, noon to 7 p.m. May 24, 25 and 26, weather permitting; noon to 7 p.m. May 31 and June 1, weather permitting; opens daily noon to 7 p.m. starting June 7
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: Adults 18 and over, $5; students ages 4 to 17, $3; and children 3 and under and seniors citizens 55 and over, $2.
Information: Borough Hall, 570-544-2149
Pine Grove Community Pool
Location: Mill Street
Opens: June 7
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: Adults, $6; students ages 6 to 18, $5; children, 3 to 5, $3; and toddlers 2 and under, free; spectators, $1
Information: Borough Hall, 570-345-0445; the pool, 570-345-8279; or the official website, www.pinegrovepool.com
The Porter/Tower Community Pool
Location: Wiconisco Avenue and 12th Street, Tower City
Opens: June 6
Hours: 1 to 8 p.m. daily
Admission: $4 per person; children 2 and under, free
Information: 717-647-2219
Pottsville JFK Pool
Location: Railway Park
Opens: May 31
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: For city residents: toddlers from 1 to 4, $1.50; students from 5 to 18, $2.50; and adults, $4. The senior citizen discount on Wednesday is $1.50
Information: City Hall, 570-622-1234
The Saint Clair Pool
Location: East Lawton Street
Opens: The borough is working to repair a crack in the pool and a date to open the pool for the season was not set this week, according to Roland Price Jr., Saint Clair borough secretary
Information: Saint Clair Borough, 570-429-0640
Tremont Community Swimming Pool
Location: 139 Clay St.
Opens: June 6
Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. daily
Admission: Children 4 and under, free; children ages 5 to 12, $3; people ages 13 and up, $4; seniors 60 and over, $3
Information: Borough Hall, 570-695-2199 or the pool, 570-695-3442
Tri-Valley Community Pool
Location: Good Spring Road, Hegins Township
Opens: June 6
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. daily
Admission: Children 5 and under, free; students ages 6 to 17, $4; adults, $5; seniors 60 and over, $4
Information: Municipal Building, 570-682-9133 or 570-682-8382