As summer approaches and the days grow longer, one of my favorite pastimes will always be spending time by the pool. It is the perfect way to beat the heat of summer with family and friends, especially at our Santa Clarita Aquatic Center. During the past nine months, the city of Santa Clarita closed both the 50-meter pool and dive pool to make much-needed renovations to the pool shells, decks and timing technology.
Originally opening to the public in 2003, the pools are used year-round with a constant flow of programs, swim team practices, a variety of swim meets and more. With so much use, the concrete pool decks were showing signs of wear, as well as the thinning of plaster in the pool.
Throughout the past few months, the concrete that surrounded each pool was removed and completely replaced, along with the rewiring of the timing and scoring system, which lies just beneath the surface of the concrete.
Inside both the 50-meter and dive pools, all of the tiling, grout and plastering were removed to allow staff to make repairs and upgrades. This included the installation of 34 new LED underwater lights, replacement of the diving board columns, relocation of buried utilities as well as the re-plastering of both pool shells.
Taking a crew of 40 to complete, the plastering took place on two separate days and will last for the next 15 to 20 years.
On the deck of the dive pool, stadium seating was restored with a durable coating that will help protect it from the elements.
All of the funding for the project comes from a Measure A grant, which is an annual tax in Los Angeles County. Agencies can use the funds to revitalize parks, community centers, playground equipment and other amenities. By constantly looking at the needs of our community, we can continue to revitalize and provide state-of-the-art amenities for our residents.
With both pools officially reopened, the city’s Aquatics Division is excited to offer our residents and visitors an array of programming this summer, including community favorites like the Float and Flick movie nights and the always-popular swimming lessons.
To keep with the aquatic theme, this year’s movie selections for the Float and Flick will be “Moana” and “Shark Tale.”
This year, we are also bringing new programming such as our Guppy Swim Team, which is targeted toward 6- and 7-year-olds who are still learning competitive strokes, but looking to enter the swim team arena.
Additionally, the Aquatic Center will be taking part in the “World’s Largest Swim Lesson” in June, which is a global drowning prevention event that helps promote water safety and the importance of learning how to swim. This free event is open to the public and is highly recommended to parents and families as they gear up to be around pools this summer.
To officially kick off the summer season, the Waterslide and Dive Pools will open on Memorial Day weekend for recreational swim, welcoming hundreds of community members through the doors to enjoy a day at the pool. Attendees can also pack a lunch and enjoy it on our picnic tables peppered throughout the pool decks.
As always, be sure that your children are always swimming with a parent or guardian and always listening to the lifeguards. Lifejackets are available to use on-site, but supplies are limited.
With so much aquatics programming available this summer, I encourage all of our residents to beat the heat and enjoy the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center or any of our additional outside pools. To learn more about programs, hours, dates or locations please visit santa-clarita.com/Aquatics or call 661-250-3740.
Bill Miranda is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council.
