Staff report

Workers were scheduled this week to finish repairing the community swimming pool at Mehlville Senior High School, according to school district officials.

Superintendent Terry Noble said last week the facility should be “up and running” again once fiberglass in the observation area is replaced and the pool is filled.

The facility, built in 1973, closed in November after engineers found it was in need of major repairs and district officials determined they couldn’t guarantee patrons’ safety.

A July inspection uncovered a number of issues, including roof and deck-support problems, plus structural problems with the observation window used by the high school swim teams. High humidity levels and pool chemicals over the years contributed to those problems, officials said.

The district contracted with Wachter Inc. of Arnold, “the lowest union bidder,” for the repair work, according to Keith Henry, Mehlville’s executive director of support services, in a recent e-mail to Noble.

The work was divided into two phases, Henry wrote.

The first phase, which addressed the most crucial repairs to the facility, is estimated to cost the district nearly $23,000, he stated. District insurance may cover part or all of that cost, he added.

The second phase of repairs are more “preventative maintenance” and are less critical, Henry wrote. Insurance will not cover those repairs, he stated.

“Phase 2 does not have an immediate need and we hope to complete it this summer,” Henry wrote, “but if budget issues prevent this, it can be delayed until such time as funding is available.”