Deep Eddy Pool is facing delayed opening hours due to drought conditions and the clogged status of two of the wells the city uses to keep the spring-fed pool in operation. Although regular maintenance scheduled for January may alleviate some of the problem, there is a limit to what the city can do while water levels remain low.
The issue came up at last week’s meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board during a staff presentation on aquatics issues. Chair Laura Cottam Sajbel said she had received complaints that Deep Eddy Pool isn’t opening until 10 or 11 a.m. That’s a major problem for the local swimming community, particularly those who rely on Deep Eddy’s lap lanes.
Because Deep Eddy is spring-fed, aquatics staffers drain the pool each day in order to refill it in the morning with clean water from several on-site wells. City staff reported that due to the state’s current drought conditions, the well levels are lower than usual and therefore it is taking longer into the morning for the pool to refill. Staff can’t open the pool until that process is complete.
While the city is working with a drilling company to lower the wells, it does not have a firm date swimmers could expect the problem to be fixed.
On Wednesday, Deandre Cain, aquatics supervisor for Deep Eddy, told the Austin Monitor that the city’s ability to solve the problem is limited.
“We have major drought conditions in the state and that’s always going to affect our water supply,” he pointed out.
Another issue at play is that two of the wells, which were built in the last 10 years, become clogged with a gunky substance over time. Each well is cleaned once a year on a six-month schedule. The last service was in March just before spring break and the next will take place in January.
Cottam Sajbel said she would like to see the city communicate better with the community about these issues. Swimmers from across town travel to Deep Eddy, and the alternative – Barton Springs – isn’t a perfect option due to its lack of lane lines.
“The water table is beyond our control, but it would be nice if they communicated better with the swimming community,” she said.
Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.
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Barton Springs Pool: This man-made, spring-fed recreational pool is rightly considered the spiritual center of Austin. Despite its intimidatingly cool waters, it remains a popular year-round swimming spot for Austinites of all ages.
Parks and Recreation Board: The city’s Parks and Recreation Board members deal with the acquisition, development, improvement, and maintenance of Austin’s parks and playgrounds.
