Damakant Jayshi
Weston officials say the leak at the Aquatic Center causing tens of thousands of gallons to seep into the ground each day is in the return line, an assessment based on a scuba diver’s inspection on Thursday.
The pool is leaking between 22,000 gallons and 24,000 gallons each day and was discovered last week. The cost to taxpayers is not yet clear.
“The inspection this morning resulted in finding out that the hydrostatic relief valves that were possibly the source of the leak were all tight and not leaking,” Shawn Osterbrink, director of Weston’s Park and Recreation told Wausau Pilot & Review. “We performed a dye test on all of the drains when the system was shut down and everything was static and each of the drains were still drawing. Based on this information it looks like the return line is leaking and not the supply line.”
Osterbrink added that additional inspection of the system is now necessary.
Officials in Weston decided Wednesday not to make any changes to Saturday’s scheduled water park opening but have not said whether Thursday’s inspection will change that decision. Neither Osterbrink nor other village officials responded by press time.
The loss at the Kennedy Park facility, 5815 Alta Verde St., is about 16 gallons per minute. If the park remains open without a repair for the entire season, more than 2 million gallons will be lost, officials said.
