Plains pool repair work progresses

The E.L. Johnson Memorial Pool in Plains is over halfway to being repaired and will open on time for next season, according to Mayor Dan Rowan.

The crew of Trueline completed fabrication of the pool and it's ready for the next phase - installing some 520 feet of pipes around the pool, which will be done by Silver Tip Plumbing and Heating, owned by Scott Rice of Plains. Rice said he offered to provide the materials at cost and free labor. "I just want to do anything I can to help the community," said Rice, who added that the pool is an important part of the community and needs to be up and running. He plans to have a crew on site in the next few weeks, but didn't say how long it would take to complete the job.

Trueline employees started the fabrication work in July. The crew removed about 50 old brackets and installed new stainless steel ones, according to fabricator Ivan Larsen of Plains. He and fabricator Zac Brooks finished their work two weeks ago. They took out 137 old rusted braces and six floodlights that had been underwater in the pool and were leaking. They used an estimated 1,400 heavy duty stainless steel bolts around the entire pool. Larsen said much of the fabrication pieces had to be custom built and cut to numerous different sizes. He added that the bracing and brackets they installed were more heavy duty than the old ones. Ryan Spiekermeier's Trueline company won the bid for $15,500, according to Rowan.

The pool is more than 40 years old and has had several problems through the years, but last year it developed major leaks. Initially, Rowan thought it would have been fixed and open in June, but when Double C Construction of Missoula dug into the pea gravel, it discovered that the structural support had been compromised with rust and that the problem was more severe and would be more costly, which prompted the town to keep the pool closed this year. The town normally budgets around $40,000 each year for the pool, most of which goes to pay for the eight lifeguards' salary and training, along with chemicals and propane. A Missoula pool construction firm told the mayor they could install a new pool shell between $380,000 to $420,000, which is way outside the town budget and more than the nonprofit organization Committee For Safe Swimming (CSS) would be able to raise. CSS has donated thousands of dollars for the pool over the years. Rowan said the town wouldn't have been able to operate the pool this many years without the help of CSS. "I don't think it can be overstated what CSS has contributed to the continuing operation of the pool," said Rowan.

Rowan had hoped to have all the repairs done prior to winter in order to test it before next swim season, but that won't happen. Once the plumbing work is done, Mark Foster of Alberton will be finishing the concrete work. The total four phases will be under the $50,000 donated to the town by CSS. Rowan said he'll be looking into grants, fundraisers and possibly low interest loans for a more permanent fix. He also said there has been community interest in having a covered pool open year round and upgrading the wading pool, operated by the Plains Lions Club, into a splash park.  

The pool closure last summer caused the Plains Piranhas swim team to travel to Polson to train, although Quinn's Hot Springs Resort let the team use its pool twice a week for free. Dan Helterline, president of the swim team board, said he wasn't sure the team would stay together if the pool is closed another year. The team also holds a meet in Plains, normally in July, which brings around 10 teams and over 100 swimmers to town.  

"With this repair, we've bought ourselves years of pool life," said Rowan, who has said repeatedly that the pool, although used only three months of the year, is important to the community. "There's no doubt in my mind we'll be open for next year."