If things finally go as planned, area residents should be able to use the main pool at the Chadron Area Aquatics and Wellness Center in a matter of days.
A balky heating system that has plagued the facility since it was created by enclosing the old city pool has kept the lap pool closed for more than 4 months, leading the city last month to decide to replace the system.
City Zoning and Building Official Janet Johnson has been frustrated over a series of glitches and disappointments in efforts to repair the old system, so she was understandably cautious yesterday about the installation of the new heating system.
If the heating of the water in the main pool does begin tomorrow, Johnson says finally reopening it to the public will follow within a few days.
Johnson emphasizes that pool users with passes will see them extended by the entire length of the closure.
The new heating system will cost the city a little over $101,000 with installation bringing the total to about $105,000. It replaces a single 1.2-million BTU boiler with a closed-system pair of 600,000 BTU units.
Each can maintain the temperature of the water by itself with both used for the initial heating following a shutdown or refilling 0 the process Johnson hopes to see begin tomorrow.
The two boilers will be used in an alternating pattern to keep their operational hours about the same and reduce the chance of overworking one. Johnson says the pool will be able to stay open if problems or maintenance take one boiler off-line.