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District 128 pools close again
Updated: June 17, 2012 8:08AM
The pools at Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School will be closed again for at least several days as construction crews make required safety improvements.
The LHS pool was drained Saturday morning in preparation for pre-construction demolition and electrical work which started on Monday. The VHHS pool will be drained on Wednesday night in preparation for repair work which is scheduled to begin on Friday.
The repairs are necessary to bring the pools in compliance with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. Community High School District 128 recently received approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health for its safety compliance plans for the two pools and have awarded contracts for the work.
Barring any unforeseen complications, the actual repairs are expected to take between five to seven days, District 128 Superintendent Prentiss Lea said, but how quickly the pools will reopen will depend on how soon they receive the necessary parts and how quickly state inspections are completed once the repairs are made.
The new pool pump and drain cover units at LHS and VHHS have been manufactured and were expected to be delivered sometime later this week, with installation following required pre-construction demolition and electrical work at the pools.
This is the second time the pools have been shut down in the past several months. The pools at LHS and VHHS were closed for about three weeks in October 2011 after failing to meet a state deadline for compliance with the Virginia Grame Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
The pools were allowed to reopen under a stipulated agreement with the IDPH, which gave the district until June 1 of this year to complete the required repairs and pass the necessary inspections.
Lea believes the district will complete the repairs in time to meet the new compliance deadline. “We have done everything in our power to meet that June 1 deadline and that’s our goal,” he said.
With the closing of the pools, LHS Athletic Director Briant Kelly and VHHS Athletic Director Brian McDonald are working with District 128 coaches and CATS Aquatics officials to find space at other area pools for aquatic related programs and activities.
Lea said the timing of the closure should not cause major disruption to pool programs, noting the water polo season is winding down and the pools are typically not as busy with other activities at this time of the year.
Additional updates will be provided on the District 128 web site, d128.org as warranted.
