Homestead Aquatic Center remains closed while still looking for pool leak

The Homestead Aquatic Center will remain closed while continuing to search for the water leak that has prevented guests from using the pool since Jan. 17.

“We have not been able to locate the leak, and it’s not because of the lack of trying with two consultants,” said Jim Orr, director of the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department.

“We’re just going through the possible options and at this point we have not isolated the leak.”

The closure was originally expected to last two to three weeks but is now extending past the original deadline. The leak is the largest the pool has ever had.

The leak was found after the Homestead Aquatic Center’s water bill was significantly higher in November.

According to a Jan. 27 press release, the pool was scheduled to reopen in mid-February after the delays, but the Feb. 17 press release now says there is no definite schedule for the reopening.

Michael Linnane, a community user of the pool, said he uses Homestead Aquatic Center because of its convenience and price.

He typically swims there three times per week.

“Since it closed, because of the schedules of the community center pool, I haven’t been able to do my swim at all, basically,” he said.

Homestead pool users have been able to use their community pass at other pools during the temporary closure, including the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, the UNC Campus Recreation Bowman Gray Memorial Pool, Hollow Rock Racquet and Swim Club and the Orange County Sportsplex.

Orr said the center has not received a lot of complaints from the community other than people asking when the pool will reopen.

No one from the aquatic center was available for comment.

According to a Feb. 17 statement from the the Town of Chapel Hill, several areas of concern were identified and necessary repairs were made, though the water loss in the lap pool has not completely stopped.

Greg Lee, spokesperson for the YMCA of the Triangle, said Homestead Pool has not reached out about how much longer the repair will take, but the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA is happy to support Homestead swimmers as long as it is necessary.

“We are fortunate that we’ve got the opportunity to share the space when needed and it hasn’t affected our members’ ability to use the pool at all,” Lee said.

Lee said that Homestead Aquatic Center has always supported the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA during their pool closures and that it has fostered a good relationship between the two pools.

“We are always happy to support the Homestead Aquatic Center and the Recreation Department in Chapel Hill when they are doing work on their pools and welcome their swimmers as our guests,” he said.

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