An empty swimming pool is a sad sight, a reminder of lost chances to splash with the kids, get some exercise, cool off in the heat of summer.

Waipahu residents have been staring forlornly at their empty pool for more than two years, waiting patiently for the city to repair it.

Thankfully, it appears their patience will be rewarded. But they will have to sweat it out for another year; the city expects to finalize a contract soon and reopen the pool by the spring of 2009.

It's about time. Allowing a public facility like a pool to sit unused for two years casts serious doubt on the efficiency and good judgment of the city's parks system.

The current situation is the latest in the sorry saga of the pool, which was built — unwisely, it turns out — on unstable soil in 1965.

As the soil settled, the pool developed cracks and was closed in August 1993. It cost $1 million to replace, on the same spot, using piles to keep it stable. But the pool deck was not stabilized — ironically, to save money — and the deck started sinking, damaging the pipe underneath.

Now the cost is $2 million and another year of waiting.

It's clear the Waipahu community wants and needs the pool facility. It's a place that can keep area children active and out of trouble. In addition, the pool's closure has been a hardship for the Waipahu High School swim team.

We assume it's a frustrating problem, for both the city and the community. Let's hope that frustration can be channeled into a project completed ahead of schedule and on firm footing. Waipahu residents, ready to jump in, can't wait.