Posted on: Sunday, September 12, 2004

Palolo pool due to reopen this week

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

The Palolo Valley District Park swimming pool will finally reopen this week, seven months after a repair project was supposed to be completed.

City Managing Director Ben Lee confirmed last night that the work was done and the public could be swimming again within days.

"It's being filled as we speak," Don Ching, president of KD Construction, said yesterday.

Before the pool can open, the city Department of Parks and Recreation must chlorinate the water, Lee said. Next, mechanical equipment will be inspected and other final preparation work will be done before the pool is opened, said Tim Steinberger, director of the city Department of Design and Construction.

The public pool shut down a year ago for a $300,000 repair project that was supposed to be done in February.

Ching said because there has been so much rain in Palolo this summer, the 2-by-2-inch ceramic tiles that cover the bottom of the 10,000-square-foot pool were not dry enough to cure properly and kept coming loose.

"We had an inspection today with our expert and the city and they said 'OK, clean the darn thing and fill it up,' " Ching said.

He said the pool holds about 500,000 gallons of water and would take at least nine hours to fill.

Ching said negotiations with the city also extended the repair time because the city wanted the entire floor replaced, not just the tiles that were not cured.

"We finally hashed it out with them and said we will repair only the ones needed, and we will take the responsibility and give you guys a four-year warranty," Ching said. "We normally go one year anyway."

The price for the contract will not go up, he said.

Staff writer Robbie Dingeman contributed to this report. Reach James Gonser at 535-2431 or jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.