Alaska News

Bethel pool sprinkler fix in motion but other problems emerge

BETHEL -- A long-term fix for the sprinkler system at Bethel's much anticipated swimming pool has been identified, and repairs should be underway by early December, the city announced Friday afternoon.

The pool opened briefly Tuesday with volunteers providing fire watch duty but had to close quickly because of another problem, a broken filter, said pool manager Raunicka Ray. She said the filter was being worked on and the pool should reopen soon.

Meanwhile, a new wind turbine that was intended to lower energy costs for the pool also is malfunctioning, said Peter Williams, the city's port director. A company outside Alaska is trying to troubleshoot that problem, he said.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Aquatic Health and Safety Center also includes weights and cardio equipment, and the workout room has been kept open with the fire watch crews, Ray said.

The fire suppression system didn't have enough water pressure to properly activate sprinklers, according to the state fire marshal.

A pool contractor ordered a wireless transmitter for the pool fire alarm that will activate the high-demand water pump at the city water plant, said Williams, whose temporary stint as acting city manager just ended. The use of that pump should ensure the required water pressure.

The hardware should arrive in Bethel next week and installation will begin after Thanksgiving, Williams said. Once repairs begin, the work should be completed in 10 days, he said.

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The costs for the repairs haven't yet been finalized, he said.

For now, the strength training and cardio room is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 8 on weekends.

Lisa Demer

Lisa Demer was a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Dispatch News. Among her many assignments, she spent three years based in Bethel as the newspaper's western Alaska correspondent. She left the ADN in 2018.

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