PSU completes major overhaul of indoor pool
Friday, January 15, 2016 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
The university pool may be one of Pittsburg State’s best kept, yet unintentional, secrets, which is hard to believe because its six lanes, dive well, seating area and locker rooms encompass an area almost as large as the lower level of John Lance Arena.
“I’m always amazed at the looks I get when I tell students not to forget about the pool,” said Vince Daino, campus recreation director at Pittsburg State. “Their eyes get wide because they had no idea we had one. Then the smiles come out and the first thing they want to know is when they can use it.”
Located in the Weede Physical Education Building, the university pool has been a mainstay of campus since 1971. It is open to campus Monday through Thursday from 6:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Anyone who has owned a pool knows just how much work they can be and Pittsburg State’s pool is no exception. By the fall of 2014, 43 years of service had taken their toll and university officials found themselves at a crossroads.
“The leaks had gotten so bad that we were losing almost two inches of water a week,” said Daino. “The paint was peeling, the lighting was gloomy and the lack of air circulation made it a pretty unpleasant place to be. It needed a pretty significant investment if we wanted to keep it in service.”
After much discussion, the decision was made to keep the pool and to place it on the university’s annual list of projects for repair and rehabilitation.
“I really credit President Scott and John Patterson (vice president for finances) with understanding how important the pool is to our students,” said Daino. “It hosts a handful of academic classes but its primary usage comes from our intramural and recreational activities.”
The task of planning the pool’s rehabilitation was given to the university’s facilities planning director, Paul Stewart.
“We wanted to maximize our limited resources,” said Stewart. “So we installed a new liner rather than re-tile the entire pool. We also installed a new stainless steel gutter, replaced all of the supply and return lines, put in new skylights, new heaters, installed two giant fans for air circulation, a new heat exchanger and repainted the entire room.”
In total, the university spent nearly $600,000 to bring the pool back up to modern standards.
Was it worth it? Well, daily use of the pool has grown to nearly 130 per day and expectations are for the trend to continue. Even long-time swimmers are enjoying the improvements.
“I’ve been coming here since the fall of 1989,” said Kenny McDougle, professor in the Department of Education. “The improvements are wonderful. It’s brighter, the air circulation makes it more comfortable and the water is great. We’re fortunate to have this facility.”
Additional details about the pool are available at Pittsburg State’s Student Recreation webpage.