Hill District Pool Closed For Summer After New Filtration System Mistakenly Shipped To Middle East
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Kids in the city's Hill District neighborhood will have to find another place to go swimming this summer.
Officials with the city announced Friday that Ammon Pool will likely not be open at all this season after a new water filtration system was mistaken shipped to the Middle East instead of Pittsburgh.
The new, custom-built water filtration system was going to replace the 80-year-old tanks that were removed from the pool earlier this spring.
The filtration system cleans the pool water continuously.
However, officials say when the new tanks were shipped last month, already after a lengthy delay, they were put on a container ship that went to the Middle East and is not due to return to the United States till late summer.
Construction is underway on new tanks, but the city says it's unlikely that production, shipping and installation can occur before Aug. 1.
In the meantime, city officials are urging families to use any of the other four nearby pools – Bloomfield, Sue Murray in the North Side, Ormsby on the South Side and the West Penn pool in Polish Hill.
"The loss of Ammon pool for the 2015 Summer season is saddening, especially given the implementation of Citiparks' new free swimming program for city kids," said Department of Parks and Recreation Director Jim Griffin in a press release. "Despite the setback, Ammon will remain an important resource for Hill District residents with our summer camp, baseball academy and meals program Grub Up starting soon."
City officials say there is still a "small chance" the tanks could be delivered in time for some swimming at the pool, but add that it's unlikely.
People in the community are disappointed.
"I don't know where I'm going to go at this point because now we have to venture out," said Zaire Hutchins, of the Hill District. "It's kind of a hassle not having a pool in your own community."
"The kids [are] probably gonna get very frustrated 'cause it gets very humid and what are they gonna do to cool off," said Alvin Thompson, another Hill District resident.
For more information on the swimming pools in the city, visit the CitiParks website here.
Meanwhile, Allegheny County pools are set to open for the season on Saturday. Pools in Boyce Park, North Park, Settlers Cabin and South Park are open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The county Spray Parks in Deer Lakes and Round Hill also open Saturday. They will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Visit this link for Allegheny County Pool Pass information.
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