The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation announces the temporary yet indefinite closure of the Laupāhoehoe Swimming Pool due to a significant water leak effective immediately.
“A few days ago, pool staff noticed the water level in the pool initially fell approximately 2-inches in a 24-hour period. The water loss continued following the refilling of the pool. In-house technical crews were dispatched to the site to troubleshoot but could not identify the leak’s source, and the water level continued to fall. Crews did identify and repair two waterline leaks, but those are unrelated to the swimming pool’s water situation,” said Maurice Messina, Director of Parks and Recreation. “We need to bring in pool professionals that can assist us in determining the source(s) and cause(s) of the continual loss of water, whether it’s a damaged drain line, a failure in the pool basin, or something else entirely. We then must determine and implement the necessary corrective work – even temporarily. This is a heavily used pool, and we are doing all we can to resolve this quickly,” said Messina.
While this pool is closed for repairs, patrons are encouraged to utilize the Honokaʻa Swimming Pool during regular hours of operation. Honoka’a pool schedule:
- Mon – Thurs 10 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. & 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Water Exercise classes Tues and Thurs 10 a.m. -11 a.m. (no lap swim)
- BIIF Swim Team Tues, Wed, and Thurs 3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (no lap swim)
The county is working to increase Honokaʻa pool availability over the next two weeks, and the pool will be open Sundays starting December 4, 2022.
Quick facts: Laupāhoehoe Swimming Pool was constructed in the late 1970s. It holds approximately 270,000 gallons of water. A 2-inch drop in the pool’s water level equates to over 5,600 gallons of water loss. All water used to refill the pool requires a significant volume of chemical treatment to ensure compliance with State Department of Health regulations and industry standards and prevent algal growth.
The Department thanks pool users for their understanding and patience during this closure as we work to resolve this issue. A news release will be issued when the Laupāhoehoe Swimming Pool is reopened for use.
For more information, call the Aquatics office at (808) 961-8694.