Donaldson Run Swimming Pool Survey

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1 Donaldson Run Swimming Pool Survey Inspection At your request, Mark Wilkinson of Paddock Swimming Pool Company and I visited the aforementioned pool in early September when the pool was full of water and running, and again on the 22 nd of October after the pool had been drained to conduct a survey to determine the condition of the pools. Work Performed We inspected, measured, photographed, created a layout drawing of the existing Main Pool, Wading Pool and pool decks and have prepared the following report based upon two site visits. This report describes the existing facilities, the condition of those facilities, and makes recommendations for repairs and improvements. Along with the written report, we have enclosed a drawing of the Main Pool, photographs, which we made during our inspections, and some item specific drawings, which show the diving well as it exists along with some details of what the minimum Arlington County Swimming Pool Health Code and US Diving (FINA competition Diving well requirements), requirements are. Site The site has a parking lot located several feet above a bathhouse, which is accessed down a sloped concrete walk. The grade is such that it presents a challenge to comply with ADA accessibility requirements though it probably is grandfathered in due to the age of the facility. There is a wading pool located at the bathhouse level. The bathhouse contains men s and women s locker rooms, a guard office and a snack bar. The Main pool is located several feet lower than the bathhouse and is accessed by a series of concrete steps.

2 Existing Facilities Main Pool The facility contains a main pool, which is constructed with a poured concrete floor and Gunite walls with standard five diamond Federal DQ stone coping and ceramic waterline tile. The main pool consists of a 25M, 6 lane competition course with a diving well at one end and a 51-6 x 45-1 ell. with 5 steps at the shallow end of the ell. The main competition course has depth markers, which indicate 4-0 at the shallow end and 11-0 at the diving well, which contains two main drains. The geometry of the diving well does not comply with current Arlington County Code but is assumed to be grandfathered in due to the age of the pool. The diving well has two 1 meter Maxi-Flex diving boards on Durafirm diving stands and a 3 meter Maxi- Flex diving board on a Durafirm diving stand that has a custom, aluminum stair and hand rail access. The Main pool has 17 skimmers and side wall returns. The main pool has posted calculations, which indicate and area of 5,944 SQ.FT., a perimeter of 356 FT., a volume of 287,000 Gal., a Turn Over Rate of 598 GPM ( 8 Hour), and a Maximum Bather Load of 220. Main Pool Filters The main pool filter room is located beyond the deck at the diving well and is located several feet below the level of the pool deck. The filter room is a concrete structure with two galvanized roll-up doors. There are two Mermade horizontal high rate sand filters. The backwash is discharged through a pipe, which goes to an open storm drain. There is a chart in the Filter room, on which records of the discharge are recorded for Health Department review. Main Pool Decks The decks around the main pool are broom finished concrete with some interior spot drains with some portions of the deck sloping to the perimeter lawn areas. There is a well done patch in the deck behind the diving well where new main drain piping was installed recently. There are some limited cracks in the deck, which have been caulked and should hold up well.

3 Wading Pool The wading pool, at the upper level of the site adjacent to the bathhouse is an oval shaped pool, which has standard coping stones, ceramic waterline tile, two skimmers, bottom returns, and two main drains. The white coat is in fair condition and may need to be properly prepared for a new white coat after next swimming season. Wading Pool Decks The broom finished concrete wading pool decks have a few areas where they have been patched but are generally in good condition. The decks are sloped to drain to the outside edge of the slab. Wading Pool Filter The filter is a single Pentair Triton II sand filter located in a lean to shed adjacent to the pool attached to the end of the bathhouse. The backwash is directed to a level gutter, which discharges to grade beyond the Wading Pool fence.

4 Existing Conditions and Recommendations Main Pool The pool structure appears to be in very good structural condition particularly when the age of the pool is considered. The pool walls are plumb and reasonably true in length, with very little cracking or delamination of the pool finish. The coping stone was very sound and is a good indicator that the pool beam is sound. The white coat is in very good condition. At some time in the past the original pool bottom returns were abandoned and side wall returns installed. We did not observe the underwater lights in operation, and all the lights had adaptor rings fastened to the pool wall over the existing light niche. The white coat is in very good shape and should not have to be replaced for at least four to five years as long as the pool is properly maintained. The two one meter diving boards and stands and the one three meter board and stand are in fair condition and should provide many years of use as long as they are carefully maintained. Consideration might be given to removing the boards and storing them in the filter room during the winter, to prolong their useful life. We did not observe any handicap lifts to comply with ADA regulations. This issue should be addressed. Main Pool Diving Well The current diving well does not meet any current code and is equipped with high level competitive diving stands and boards. The well is too shallow and too short in several critical dimensions. Consideration should be given to correcting this condition or removing the current diving equipment. (see attached drawings)

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6 Main Pool Recirculation System Paddock was informed that the current main drain grates and sumps did not meet the new VGB requirements, and that this condition was scheduled for correction this fall. The pool appears to have been re-piped with sch. 40 PVC piping some time ago, and the new piping for the pool return system was placed in the pool walls. The location of some of the returns could have been coordinated with some of the pool racing lane locations and if major repairs are considered, some of the fittings should be relocated. Several fitting were missing covers or had the wrong type of cover installed. Main Pool Filters The main pool filters have been recently replaced with two Mermade horizontal pressure sand filters, model E and are in excellent shape. The better part of the installation appears to be well done. The pump is a PACO 20 hp, 1750 rpm motor, which is performing very well Main Pool Decks The pool decks are in very good condition and if properly maintained, should provide many years of use. Wading Pool The wading pool structure and coping stones appear to be in good condition but the white coat needs attention. This white coat will have to be patched and sanded or removed and replacement. Wading Pool Filters The Wading pool filter system and related piping appear to be in good condition and operating properly. The sand filter and the recirculation pump appear to be reasonably new and should continue to perform well for the foreseeable future. The wooden enclosure could use some improvement for easier access and maintenance, but generally everything appeared satisfactory.

7 Wading Pool Decks The Wading Pool Decks have some areas which have been patched and caulked. The caulking is not as well done as the Main Pool Decks and may need some attention. Bathhouse We were not asked to evaluate the Bathhouse but we did make a brief walk through to observe the existing toilet and shower rooms. The showers and toilets have been updated to comply with ADA requirements even though the lavatories do not have ADA hardware. The snack bar is functional and appears to dispense pre-packaged foods with no cooking. The Arlington County Heath Department has fairly strict regulations regarding the operation of snack bars but we don t know what arrangements have been made with the county to operate this facility. General Conclusions This reviewer has performed many pool surveys for community swimming pools in the Washington Metropolitan Area and we believe that this is a very nice facility and it shows that it has been well maintained. If the quality of maintenance is continued we believe that many years of use should be anticipated. The diving well geometry puts the club at some level of risk if the diving well is not modified to meet current diving well codes. If the diving well were to be modified to meet current codes, the pool could be re-configured to provide both diving, recreational swimming and lap swimming.