Edmonton's Borden Natural Swimming Pool opening delayed due to leak
Edmontonians wanting to check out the pool will need to wait just a little bit longer to go for a dip. The city says the pool should be open by the end of the month.
Ashley Desmarais told CBC on Thursday she's hoping to check out the pool for the first time.
"It's always something that I've wanted to check out with the natural spring that they have there," she said.
The pool is unique as Canada's first public outdoor chemical-free pool. It was expected to open in mid-June.
But part of maintaining a natural pool includes special environmental considerations.
Borden Natural Swimming Pool uses rock filters and natural processes in the regeneration basin to clean the water instead of using chemicals.
A leak was found where the pipe connects with one of the natural filter beds, which is filled with rocks and plants. Investigation and repair of the leak source required the removal of the rocks from the filter to expose the liner.
"We did shut down the facility, as we normally would at the end of last season and would winterize it. We did locate that there was a leak in part of the filtration processes," said Cyndi Slousher, facility manager with the City of Edmonton.
While the final costs of the repair are still being confirmed, the repairs are estimated to cost between $80,000 and $100,000 due to the specialized filter material required and the labour-intensive nature of the work.
The filter has now been repaired and reassembled.
"As part of filling the filtration system and getting the system up and running in operation, we have to allow the plants and the natural processes to grow," Slousher said.
"So our healthy bacteria that is in the water, and the microscopic organisms that help to clean the water, we did have to allow them to grow."
Slousher says the plants in the pool are doing well and that it is expected to open before the end of July.
After the repair, the pool is filled, then the water needs to be tested for safety and pass provincial health standards and inspections before re-opening.
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