The Whyalla Recreation Centre is now open to the public following the recent Covid-19 restrictions.
The main 25m pool, spa and sauna remain closed, to allow for Council to complete necessary maintenance and upgrades.
Whyalla City Council Acting CEO, Mr Kristen Clark said the maintenance work commenced while the centre was closed due to COVID-19, in line with government requirements.
“Council decided to take advantage of the forced closure to start vital maintenance work” said Mr Clark.
The maintenance work has encompassed both the main 25m pool and the spa, both of which have been completely drained.
The entire spa has been re-grouted, new wet deck grating installed and the gutters repaired using a coating to protect against future erosion.
The pool has had a specialised bandage installed along the expansion joint, replacement of tiles and the patching of worn grout areas.
While the main pool works are expected to be completed this week, the pool will not re-open until mid-July at the earliest.
“We need a further fortnight to ensure that the grout has cured properly before we re-introduce water to the pool. As you can imagine, it takes about a week to completely re-fill the main 25m pool and then there will be a period of testing to ensure the temperature and chemical levels are correct and that the pool is safe for the public” Mr Clark said.
“We would like to reassure the community that we are working to progress the pool re-opening. It’s always difficult to close a service but this is the best possible timing considering the covid-19 restrictions. It's also much more logical to undertake these works during winter when there’s traditionally less people using the pool” said Mr Clark.
As per the South Australian roadmap for easing restrictions, the spa and sauna remain closed.
The Whyalla Recreation Centre is operated by YMCA on behalf of the Whyalla City Council. Users of the Centre are asked to continue to be mindful of social distancing requirements and to follow any other safety instructions.
Pictured above is the drained spa with all grouting, grating and gutter works completed.
BEFORE (pictured above left) spa gutters with chipping and general poor condition
AFTER: (pictured above right) new rendered spa gutters