In a rather unwelcome turn for local swimmers, Portland Parks & Recreation has announced that the popular Pier Pool is currently closed for what seems to be a significant plumbing debacle. Portland Parks & Recreation detailed a grim scene where water from the cherished 84-year-old pool was vanishing due to a ruptured water line.
This isn't just a case of a leaky faucet—no, the pool's inner mechanicals, some of which have been around since FDR was in office, are falling apart; specifically on June 27, it became painfully obvious that refilling the historic pool was about as effective as trying to fill a sieve when they noticed the water level dropping faster than a lead balloon. The technicians at the scene tagged a broken pipe in the water circulation system as the culprit, a problem severe enough to stop water circulation, chemical treatment, or any attempts to heat the water, which is, well, less than ideal if you're planning on taking a dip.
Fixing such an issue is more complicated than slapping on some duct tape, especially since it involves jackhammering through the concrete to get to the troubled pipes. After plumbing operations are complete the pool will have to be refilled with a whopping 180,000 gallons of water and brought back to a swimmable temperature.
But there's a silver lining for the water-winged youth of Portland—the aquatics staff at PP&R have been quick on their feet, as no swim lessons will be scrapped because of the repair work, swimmers are instead rerouting to Peninsula Pool, which is thankfully not spilling its guts. "Fortunately, no swim tutorials will be canceled, classes and swim team practices are simply moving house to the nearby Peninsula Pool," according to the announcement by Portland Parks & Recreation.
