Pool closed until further notice

April 21, 2006

The pool will be closed until further notice due to a chemical imbalance caused by Kool-Aid found in the water. Photo by Ryan C. Harris

April 12, the day after Terrific Tuesday, a housekeeping worker found the pool in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse full of Kool-Aid.

According to Facilities Manager Jonathan Robinson, the chemicals in the Kool-Aid killed the pH in the pool, and it is going to be a lengthy and expensive process to fix the problem.

“We are currently trying to bring the chlorine and pH levels back to normal,” Robinson said. “It will take some time for this to be finished.”

The pool needs time to filter the Kool-Aid particles out of its 176,000 gallons of water.

“So far we’ve spent $1,037 on chemicals trying to get everything back to where it should be, and we’re still not done,” Robinson said. “We’ve been taking chemicals daily to get them tested, and we’re still not where we’re supposed to be.”

The pool will be closed until further notice, according to a campus-wide e-mail sent by Sandy Deyton, secretary to the physical plant, on Wednesday. Robinson said the pool cannot be opened unless the chlorine and pH levels are in an extremely narrow margin.