KINGSPORT – Legion Pool will be closed Monday June 25 through Wednesday June 27 at a minimum to allow for repair of leaking pipes.

"Unfortunately, it would appear that we are dealing with multiple leaks as we are losing about 95,000 gallons of water a day," Assistant to the City Manager Chris McCartt said Friday. "To put that figure in perspective we are basically refilling the pool every 5 ½ days."

The pool was logged by Parks and Recreation staff as losing 55,042 gallons per day on average between May 26 and June 1. By June 9, the daily loss had grown to an average of 92,957 gallons per day.

"Since the first of June our Parks and Recreation Staff, along with members of our Water Department, having been working to locate a large water leak at Legion Pool," McCartt said. "The leak has been identified as coming from a major water line in the pump room at Legion Pool. Due to the location of the leak it is imperative that staff repair that line as quickly as possible."

The process for repairing this leak will require staff to drain the pool approximately 6 feet. Once the water has been drained, a welder will attempt to weld the pipe. If unsuccessful, the pipe must be removed and replaced.

In the worse case scenario of actually digging up pipes, Parks and Recreation staff believes the pool can still be made operational again by July 4th.

“The age and condition of the pipes and other pool infrastructure makes it difficult to keep the pool open without losing a lot of water,” McCartt said. "We have informed the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that it is very likely we will once again face a problem in the near future given the wide range of break downs and multiple failure types we have seen at Legion in recent years."

Under state regulations governing water accounting and loss, the Parks and Recreation Department must pay for water provided by the City water department. So major water losses add up to lost operational dollars as well.

If the repairs are successful, Legion Pool will reopen on Thursday, June 28. For additional information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Office at 229-9460.