The Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County

Fortune Springs Pool in Need of Repairs

WINNSBORO (Feb. 16, 2017) – Town Council during executive session at their Feb. 7 meeting received a report from Billy Castles on potential repairs to the swimming pool at Fortune Springs Park.

Although Council took no action on the matter after returning to open session, documents provided by the Town to The Voice show that the swimming pool is in need of more than $82,000 in repairs and upgrades.

The pool has had no major repairs in more than 10 years, according to the documents from Castles’ Building-Zoning-Streets-Sanitation-Parks Department. Deterioration of the pool floor and wall plaster, as well as cracked or missing tiles, have led to considerable leakage, the report states. The pool was shut down last season by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), according to the report, because of leaks.

The swimming pool is also in need of DHEC-required anti-skid steps and water depth tiles in the walls.

Castles’ department received quotes on the repairs and upgrades from Upstate Pool Management of Simpsonville running to $82,580. That included installing a marcite surface ($53,500), installing water tiles and depth tiles ($12,030), upgrading filters and piping ($15,450) and leak detection ($1,600).

Castles’ report concluded that the repairs should be made in March in order to have the pool ready for a June opening.

The report also stated that Castles explored the option of installing a splash pad as an alternative to the pool. The cost range for such an endeavor, however, ran from $200,000 and up, leading Castles to abandon the idea.