With the opening of Charleston’s new community swimming pool reportedly near, city workers got a crash course in maintenance and upkeep last week.
Cameron Wakefield, general manager of Rebel Pools and Spas in Oxford, was on hand Friday (Aug. 23) to provide instruction.
He taught “the cleaning process, the chemicals and just a basic overview of the system,” Wakefield said.
In the mechanical room, where two pumps and two filters do the heavy lifting for the Accu-Tab filtration and chlorination system, Wakefield explained operations and how to care for the works.
Wakefield said the idea is to equip the city to “manage the pool and keep it clear, and, hopefully, you’ll have some happy swimmers.”
Charleston Mayor Sedrick Smith said he and members of the city’s street and water departments took part in last week’s training.
“Cameron has assured us that as close as next week, we could open up the pool for the community to come and enjoy,” Smith noted. “That’s what we’re excited about. That’s why we have the staff out here getting educated on it, so we have best practices in place before we open up.”
The 25-foot-wide by 50-foot-long pool features a 6-inch wading and tanning ledge separated from the main pool by security railing, and graduated water depths from 3, then to 4, and, finally, to 5 feet at the pool’s deepest level.
The pool facility, adjacent to the city’s three-year-old Shade Street Park Walking Trail, is situated near the intersection of Shade and North Vine streets, a mere stone’s throw north of Charleston Elementary School.
Together, Smith said the trail and pool comprise the Shade Street Multipurpose Complex.
The fenced-in pool area features separate men’s and women’s handicapped-accessible restrooms. Benches, chairs and lockers remain to be added along the wide concrete skirt of the pool, the mayor noted.
Cameron Wakefield of Rebel Pools and Spas, second from left, teaches Charleston Mayor Sedrick Smith and city street and water department workers Jimmy Bynum, Jessie Williams, Michael Diltz, Freddie Hervey and Roger Tellis how to vacuum the city’s new swimming pool as part of training last Friday. (Photo by Clay McFerrin)
Smith said security cameras will be installed along the perimeter of the complex to monitor the pool.
As for safety, Smith said “at least two lifeguards and a manager will be on site at all times.” He noted the city is presently seeking lifeguards.
The mayor said the plan was to train people to serve as lifeguards, explaining that Delta State University offers lifeguard instruction. However, he stated that the city missed the deadline for the May training cycle.
“We’re going to reach out to some of the local towns and cities and see if we can get some lifeguards,” he added. “We don’t have but a month or so when we can swim.”
With school in session, once open — and the pool is “really close” to opening, said Smith — operational hours for the pool will probably be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays only, he added.
The mayor said rules and regulations for users of the facility have been formulated, and descriptive signage will be posted in plain view around the pool.
Citing one example, Smith said anyone age 13 and under will have to be accompanied by an adult while at the pool.
“It might change a little bit, but as of right now that’s what we have,” he noted.
In addition to providing another recreational opportunity for the city’s youth, Smith said the plan is to teach swimming lessons at the pool.
“The school system is going to work with us ... on [offering] swim classes,” the mayor explained. “We spoke with Delta State the early part of the year about having someone to come and teach some classes.”
Smith said in addition to teaching water safety, helping children learn to swim may propel some of them into competitive swimming.
“Maybe the next Simone Biles of swimming or Michael Phelps will come from Charleston. It can happen,” he noted. “We could have an Olympic swimmer come right through here.”
Federal, state and local funding sources provided the financing for what was initially billed as a roughly $600,000 price tag for the pool project.
The Charleston Rotary Club pledged to donate $30,000 to the city for the pool. In addition, proceeds from a 2% sales tax on food and beverages prepared and sold in Charleston — money earmarked for parks, recreation and tourism — have been utilized to fund the project.
In November 2019, local attorney Tommy Reynolds purchased the patch of ground on which the pool would be constructed and deeded it to the city for $1.
