2025 Water Park Maintenance Shut Down

After patiently waiting for the water to do its thing... we are ready to open! Public Health completed their inspection this afternoon and we have the green light to dive in.

This year's maintenance shutdown saw significant improvements to our water quality and control systems, and were very excited to get everyone back in the pool! There are a few people we want to thank for their commitment to seeing this project through:

• AME Group, Ful-Flo Industries Ltd., and the many different contractors and sub-trades that involved in the UV and filter replacement aspects of the project.
• The City's project team, including the project managers, facility managers, and other staff for their guidance and support throughout the project.
• The Water Park team, including the Pool Technicians and Life Guard staff for their hard work in getting things ready to reopen to the public.
• Our user groups for their patience and understanding while waiting for water chemistry to clear things up.
• The residents and patrons who have been following along with us throughout the project, asking questions and staying informed.

Our teams will now begin opening up program schedules and registrations on the City's website. Visit https://www.yorkton.ca/parks-recreation-culture/gallagher-centre/water-park/ to see the upcoming programming and lesson schedules.

We look forward to seeing you in the pool soon!

The change in colour is a step in the right direction!

This might get a little technical, but it's a delicate science to balancing the water. The initial green tinge is caused by the copper piping in the Gallagher Centre. Although the water in the water park is drained out during shutdown, water still remains in the main copper piping that moves water to the pool from where the water enters the building. While copper can be used to help prevent algae growth in home pools, too much copper can lead to issues with water colouring and chemistry. The longer the water sits in the pipe, the more copper gets absorbed, the greener the water on the other end.

At the start of filling the water park, copper levels were sitting at 4 parts per million (ppm). After filtering, backwashing, and initial balancing copper levels are now at 0.4 ppm, and the water is beginning to become more blue in colour, signaling that the process is working.

In addition to working out the copper, water hardness, total alkalinity, pH, and chlorine levels are also balanced to provincial regulations.

• Water hardness initially tested at 700 ppm. After running through the softener systems hardness now sits at 200 ppm.
• Regulations require total alkalinity (TA) to be between 80 and 120 ppm. At the start of balancing TA measured 350 ppm, and currently sits at 240 ppm. Hydrochloric acid is used to drop the TA, and so far 16 five-gallon pails have been used. This process requires acid be introduced slowly, and it does impact the pH of the water, which is the next step in the balancing process.
• Provincial regulations require pH levels to be between 7.2 and 7.8. At the start of balancing the pH was measured at 7.8, but dropped below 6 as the acid was added to the water. A low pH (acidic) can cause eye and skin irritation, swimmer discomfort, and damages equipment such as pumps and filters. A higher pH (basic) causes cloudy water, scale build up, and is less effective in managing chlorine levels. A pH of 7.2 is the optimum level for chlorine effectiveness.
• Chlorine levels are required to be above 3 ppm in order to meet provincial regulations. The colour shift from green to blue indicates that the chlorine levels are rising, and are currently sitting at 4 ppm.

Once the proper levels for total alkalinity, pH, and chlorine have been achieved Public Health will conduct their own inspection and testing, ensuring the water is safe for swimmers. Public Health is scheduled for their inspection tomorrow (October 16) and we are hopeful for a positive outcome. We continue to test and balance daily, and appreciate everyone's patience while we let the science work.

BEFOREAFTER

Progress continues as we work toward reopening the Water Park!

• As you can see in the photos, the water is still looking a bit green, but that’s all part of the balancing process as we fine-tune the chemistry.
• Our team will be hard at work throughout the Thanksgiving weekend to balance the water — so while you’re enjoying your turkey, we’ll be making sure the water is safe and ready for you to enjoy soon!
• The sauna has also been freshly stained and is looking fantastic.

Commissioning work continues to move forward at the Water Park.

• UV system commissioning is now complete and has been officially signed off.
• As shown in the photos, our team is still working on improving water clarity and balancing the water.
• Water testing has resumed as part of the ongoing process to ensure safe and balanced water quality.
• The new filtration system still requires a backwash to complete commissioning, along with any remaining adjustments or corrections.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these important final steps to ensure the facility is ready for use.

The wave pool is now full, and acid has been added. The acid will naturally circulate through the water to help balance the pool’s chemistry. The UV filtration system is now being commissioned, including electrical system checks and UV bulb installation, to ensure all equipment is operating properly and the water will be safe for swimmers.

In other good news, the water slide has been waxed and is ready for sliding!

Final touches are also underway in other areas of the facility, including paint touch-ups, deep cleaning of the guard tower, Play Zone, and change rooms, and scum line cleaning. These steps are all required for public health approval before the facility can reopen.

The lap pool has now been filled with water, and the wave pool is in the process of filling. The next step will be adding pails of acid to the water. The acid will naturally move through the pools as part of the process to balance the water chemistry.

We’re getting closer to the final stages of preparing the waterpark for reopening!

It took 45,000 imperial gallons of water to get to that red line! It took 45,000 imperial gallons of water to get to that red line!

The last bit of work on the new filtration tanks and ultra-violet light has been completed and all fittings and valves tested for leaks. New pumps have also arrived to replace some of the aging equipment, and engineered support beams have also been installed. The systems are now ready for water to be added back into the pools! The water park uses heated, softened water and the softeners need to recharge every few hours while filling. We will use over 250 individual bags of softener salt and almost 1 million litres of water to fill the pools!

Once filled, the science of balancing and maintaining water chemistry starts. Hydrochloric acid to balance alkalinity, soda ash to balance pH levels, and chlorine to help disinfect and oxidize the water. This is similar to what you might do in a back-yard pool, but on a much larger scale! We're excited to get everyone back into the pool, but need to make sure the water is safe before use. This is a process that cannot be rushed while the pool chemicals do their work.

While we had hoped to be back in water this weekend, we do not anticipate the water being ready for swimming by that time. To ensure clean, safe water that is suitable for swimmers we unfortunately are adjusting the reopening date back by one week. We understand that this will impact some swimming lessons and courses, and are working to notify those who were registered for them. Lessons will be shifted back by one week, and will end roughly in line with the school break for holidays in December.

We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding while we work to provide the best experience at the Water Park!

The project continues to move forward with more upgrades taking shape inside the water park. Flow meters and gauges are being installed to help monitor and maintain safe, efficient water quality. Additional piping has also been added, and crews are now plotting out the chlorination lines that will keep the water clean and safe for swimmers. Work is also underway to tie in the heat exchangers, which will ensure the pools stay at just the right temperature.

The remaining filter tanks were installed this week, and will soon be raised into place. These tanks are so large that two sets of double doors had to be removed to provide enough room to get them inside! Now that the tanks are in the building, piping and valves will be added, along with the internal filtration systems inside the tanks. Once these items have been completed we will start to introduce the glass media that all the water passes through to filter out any debris.

Outside the mechanical room, progress has been made on the water slide, which has received new seam caulking, has been cleaned and buffed, and fresh paint put on the stairs and railings. Next up for the water slide is waxing. Work also continues in the equipment and Lifeguard rooms which have received some modifications and fresh paint as well. Tile and grout work continues throughout the water park.

Work is continuing on the water park shutdown maintenance, in addition to the filtration and UV projects. A few maintenance items being worked on include:

• Calcium removal from tile throughout the water park.
• Skimmer cleaning and grouting.
• Repairs to the wave generator air baffles (the system that makes the waves).
• Rust removal and painting of the water slide structure.
• Stripping and removal of old caulking on the water slide, preparing for buffing, waxing, and resealing the joints.
• Deck drain flushing.
• Remove, clean, and reseal drains in the lap pool.

For the filtration and UV project:

• Three filter tanks have been placed.
• Work started on required piping and valve replacement
• Strainer baskets are being installed.