Leak repaired at the water park

A leak at Portland Water Park has been fixed.

Delays caused by those repairs may put the scheduled opening day in jeopardy.

Street and parks department superintendent Matt Shauver updated Portland Park Board on the situation at its meeting Tuesday, explaining that the leak was fixed Tuesday and the pool was to be filled Wednesday with the goal of maintaining the scheduled May 25 opening day.

Shauver told the park board that the pool at the water park had been filled in April in preparation for the coming season. But, with help from water department superintendent Doug Jackson, it was determined that the facility had a leak. (Jackson informed Shauver that the water park was using 5,000 gallons of water a day.)

That information led to bringing in two specialists — the first was unable to find anything — in order to determine what was causing the issue. Plugging drains and utilizing helium, John Jensen of United Leak Detection was able to narrow the location of the leak to a perimeter pipe along the south side of the facility.

Street department staff, with help from the wastewater department, spent Tuesday morning excavating a section of the pool deck about 5 feet wide and 45 feet long. They located a crack in the pipe that was the source of the leak. Staff from the city’s water department repaired the leak.

Shauver reported to the park board that the pool was being filled Tuesday evening and he would have his staff replace the section of the pool deck that was removed by the end of the week. He said he is “pretty confident” the water park will be able to be open May 25, but the leak has tightened the timeline. It takes about two weeks for the required water testing. Also, lifeguards must go through a training session at the facility.

“We appreciate everybody from all departments throughout the entire city,” said park board president Brian Ison.

Shauver and Ison discussed the cost of the leak detection and repair, with Shauver noting that the leak detection services alone are expected to cost several thousand dollars. Ison told his fellow park board members that the board may need to request an additional appropriation from Portland City Council.

Ison told his fellow park board members that the board may need to request an additional appropriation from Portland City Council.

Addressing the pool heater that was approved last month, Shauver said the expected delivery date is now June 11.

The board also discussed potential future capital projects following their annual park walk-through last month. Among the projects discussed were:

•Addressing erosion around the pond and sealing the driveway and parking lot at Hudson Family Park

•New playground equipment and tree trimming at Haines Park

•Remodeling the restroom at Milton Miller Park

In other business, the board:

•Agreed to move forward with an ordinance to regulate the sale of alcohol in city parks for special events, such as concerts and Portland Rockets games. (Such an ordinance would need to be approved by Portland City Council.) Checking archives following the meeting, The Commercial Review found reference to an ordinance regulating alcohol sales in parks being approved by the park board and council in August 2018, but no such ordinance exists on the city’s website. Ison said Wednesday morning that he would look into the issue.

•Heard an update from parks manager Ronnie Reynolds, who noted that the new water fountain has been installed near the amphitheater entrance at Hudson Family Park and concrete pads have been poured for the picnic tables in the dog park. Most park landscaping has been completed and wildflowers were planted near the amphitheater stage. New cameras are also being installed at the park.

•Shauver noted that mulch work will likely be done mid-summer and that plans are to put back the rail at the Hudson Family Park gazebo.

•Runkle noted that there is a donor who is interested in providing a tree to be planted in the dog park at Hudson Family Park. Shauver and Reynolds were supportive of the idea, saying they would coordinate with the anonymous donor.