The old saying is that good things are worth the wait. Swimmers are undoubtedly happy with the news that the community swimming pool has reopened after a shutdown of more than three months for mechanical system repairs and maintenance work.

The pool reopened on Saturday, Aug. 9, for a celebration for the end of the Irene Ingle Public Library summer reading program for kids. It opened to the public on Monday, Aug. 11.

Hours will be limited until Parks and Recreation can train enough lifeguards for full operations, explained Lucy Robinson, Parks and Recreation director.

“The community has been incredibly patient,” she said in an interview last week. “We hate it being shut down.”

The department closed the pool and community center the first week of May, hoping for an earlier reopening. But, as with any old building and equipment, the work took longer than expected.

The weight room and cardio equipment reopened in early June, while other facilities remained shut down.

“Once you rip into a project … other things pop up,” Robinson said. One example, she said, is that workers discovered that the mixing valve on the pool’s heat exchanger “is near breaking.”

The pool can operate while waiting for the new valve, she said. “We’re just crossing our fingers that our systems hold up.”

The pool first opened in 1987.

In addition to mechanical system repairs, the pool reopening was delayed by the extensive work required — more than expected — to refurbish the lockers, Robinson said. That included sanding out the rust, metal fabrication, new primer and paint. 

“This project has been long and tedious,” she said in a Facebook posting last week. “Applying the paint has been the biggest struggle, with the task feeling like ‘nailing Jello to a wall.’”

The lockers and showers are now ready for use.

“As for full aquatics programming, we aren’t there yet. Before we expand full access, our lifeguards need time to train, and we’re working to rebuild the team to its full strength,” Robinson said in a Facebook posting last week. “Hang tight — we'll get there.”

Much of the work at the pool and community center was performed by the same Parks and Rec employees who are already busy in the summer with outdoor projects including cleaning park restrooms, weeding and mowing.

“We were definitely pulled in different directions,” Robinson said of her crew’s workload over the past couple of months.

Even with the pool reopening, some work remains, including replacing the mixing valve and replacing a chlorination unit. The director said neither should cause a closure of more than a day or two.

In an effort to stretch staff across all of the facilities, the community center will continue operating at reduced capacity until the remaining work at the pool is finished.

Schedule updates will be available at the Parks and Recreation website at Wrangellak.myrec.com.