Kawamoto pool closure drags on

A Hilo pool closed in October will remain so indefinitely as Hawaii County repairs faulty equipment.

The Charles “Sparky” Kawamoto Swim Stadium closed on Oct. 14 for what was supposed to be scheduled maintenance to correct a persistently leaky pump.

Parks and Recreation Director Maurice Messina said the project wasn’t expected to take longer than two weeks.

A month later, however, the pool remains closed after additional mechanical problems were found.

“The contractor took apart the pump and found there had been catastrophic failures of certain parts in the pump,” Messina said, explaining that the pump shaft and a corresponding sleeve were rusted out and need to be replaced.

The contractor needs to fabricate the replacement parts, which has caused the extended delay in reopening.

The total cost of the replacement is about $6,000, said Parks and Rec spokesman Thatcher Moats. But there is still no estimate for when the pool could reopen.

Messina said Parks and Rec has taken the opportunity of the closure to conduct extra maintenance work at the swim stadium — replacing broken lights throughout the pool and bleacher areas — and the pool’s lifeguards have been reassigned to other county pools where possible.

“We’re trying to accommodate the users — swim teams, the aquatic clubs, the diving teams — and shift them to other pools as much as we can,” Messina said.