Wes Deist Aquatic Center to close for repairs

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - As announced earlier this year, the Wes Deist Aquatic Center will close to the public beginning Nov. 7 for major renovations to the facilities’ HVAC systems, which help control humidity and moisture within the facility.

The repairs were originally planned to begin on May 1 of this year; however, supply chain and production issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the delivery of materials to begin those repairs.

The time frame to begin construction was then moved back to earlier this fall; however, after input from users and parents, that timeframe was pushed back to allow schools to compete in the fall swimming season.

“There is never a good time to close a facility like this,” said Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation Director PJ Holm in a press release in March. “We typically have about 120,000 users a year at the pool making it an incredibly well used facility. So when we have major repairs like this, it is going to be felt in the community and we want people to know well in advance so they can be prepared.”

The pool is scheduled to close on Nov. 7, 2021 to begin replacing the current dehumidification system and is scheduled to be closed for several months while the new system is installed. It is expected to reopen in the spring of 2022.

Built in 1986, the aquatic facility currently has two dehumidification systems to regulate air quality and humidity within the facility. The age of the old units has led to higher moisture in the facility causing challenges to equipment and control systems, which are prone to rust and increased wear with the higher humidity levels.

The construction will replace the two systems with one new, more efficient system to regulate the entire facility. By better regulating the moisture load on the equipment within the building, it reduces wear-and-tear on machinery and materials throughout the building and will help extend the life of essential equipment needed to operate the pool, as well as building structure and the pool itself.

Total costs for the repairs are anticipated to be approximately $1 million dollars and will also include fixes to pool decking by removing old, corroded metal fixtures and other minor repairs.

“These are essential fixes that will help extend the life of this facility for many years to come,” Holm said. “The aquatic center is really an essential part of the community, and with this new, upgraded technology, we hope to make it possible for people to enjoy swimming here for a long time to come.”

The Parks & Recreation Department hopes to have the repairs finished and the pool reopened by sometime next spring.