Crews have been busy at work within the Drumheller Aquaplex in repairing and replacing the hot tub which has been down for months and months.
Unfortunately, while working on the infrastructure of the current hot tub, they have ran into some significant concerns. At the Drumheller Town Council meeting on Monday, July 7th, Connor Schweder, Junior Project Manager, provided a Request For Decision for an additional $53,200 to be budgeted for the hot tub replacement. Pinnacle Aquatic Group, who is working on the project found that area surrounding the surge tank, which holds overflow water from the hot tub, was found to not be backfilled with any materials. Rather, the surge tank was supported by a suspended wooden structure that had been holding up approximately ten inches of concrete. This wood was significantly deteriorated due to prolonged exposure to moisture, heat, and pressure, making it structurally unsound. Although the surge tank, installed around 2017, remains in good condition, if the wooden structure had collapsed, the concrete would have caused significant damage to the fiberglass surge tank.
The Town of Drumheller has shared that “Council authorized an additional allocation of $53,200.00 from the Town’s Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) grant for the Aquaplex Restoration Project. This funding will address unexpected structural deficiencies identified beneath the pool deck. The project had an original capital budget, of $250,000.00 but with the additional funding request, the anticipated completion cost is $303,200.00 . A structural engineer has confirmed that immediate remediation is necessary to ensure the long-term stability and safety of the hot tub area.”
The good news is that even with these difficulties discovered, the timeline for the project is still expected to be similar. “Work is expected to be complete early September; work is still on schedule. We are excited to have a fully operational hot tub back this fall!”
During the council meeting Mayor Heather Colberg shared that Council and Administration have been searching for grant opportunities for recreation from the provincial and federal governments but cannot find any available at this time. Although they, like all of us, would love a new facility, unless there are grants available in the future, financially it is not feasible for the Town at this time.
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