Two pools at U of T’s Athletic Centre have sprung major leaks over the course of the past few weeks. Although efforts to locate and repair the leaks are ongoing, the precise cause of the leaks is as yet unknown. AC staff suspect that the damage is due to light earthquake tremors.
The teach pool, which is used for swimming instruction for children and adults as well as for recreation, is losing approximately 150,000 gallons of water per month and has been closed for the duration of the investigation and repair efforts. The large pool, which is more commonly used, is losing approximately 100,000 gallons per month, but will remain open until August.
The program manager in charge of pools, Kay Dawkins, said that the leak may be in “some of the pipes, but we haven’t yet determined where. We know very roughly where.” Pool facility manager Cathy Hughes, who is coordinating the investigation, said that advanced detection techniques revealed that a crack in one of the pool jet inlets, which runs through a sleeve under the concrete floor of the pool area, may be the source of one of the leaks.
The water itself was leaking into one of the water filtration rooms under the Athletics Centre, which contained some high voltage equipment. Upon this discovery, the pool was closed for safety reasons. The water from the leak from the larger pool is believed to be dispersing into the groundwater, and so will remain open. “We think the cause may be tremor related,” said Hughes. “This may be a building buckle point. No one wants to admit that these buildings may be affected by earthquakes.”
Hughes also said that the teach pool will remain closed until the source of the other leaks can be found, but said that no repairs will be made until the larger pool can be closed as well, during the summer. She reasons that it will be easier to repair both pools at the same time.
A number of external companies have been consulted regarding repair methods. While the known leaks are very inaccessible, buried as they are under tons of concrete, all of the companies contacted have assured Hughes that the repairs, once complete, will strengthen the affected areas, making them more resistant to quakes.
However, the repairs are a considerable unforeseen expense. The Athletics Centre has a maintenance fund upon which it can draw, and the university keeps a pot of funds available for general repairs, but according to Hughes the huge cost of repairs will “empty the pots.” However large the cost, Hughes is confident that the financial burden will fall on the university, not the students.
