The Yosemite Hall lap and dive pools have closed while Facilities Services examines and repairs leaking pipes which caused the loss of thousands of gallons of water.

Summer classes have been canceled and swimming will resume for the fall semester.

Facilities and Utilities Director Linda Hafar said the pools are not a hazard to swimmers. She estimates it will cost $155,000 to fix the pipes.

“These pipes are about 16 feet underground and under the pool,” Hafar said. “As long as the system functions properly, they are not typically inspected.”

Hafar said Facilities spends $40,000 per year on costs for chemicals, cleaning supplies and smaller repairs to maintain the pools.

Fred Baldini, professor and department chair of kinesiology and health science, said students, faculty and staff are disappointed with the closure of the pools, and have impacted programs.

“While I wish it would be opened sooner, the repairs needed will take time to complete,” Baldini said. “I’m very pleased that Facilities Services was willing to take on the cost of the repairs.”

Hafar said Facilities must solicit bids for a Public Works project to repair the pools. A Public Works project is a project over $5,000 that modifies buildings, ground and utilities on state property.

Facilities will give copies of the plans for the project to various small business contractors, or advertise it in the State Contracts Register, a program that works to solicit contractors for projects. Then, a contractor will be selected based upon the lowest price and also if he or she is considered “responsive and responsible.”

“Responsive and responsible means their bid documents are filled out completely and they have provided all of the proper bonding and insurance requirements,” Hafar said.

In a press release, Ronald Richardson, associate vice president for Facilities Services, said that due to budget issues and limited funding available for deferred maintenance, the focus will be on the lap pool that supports programs in the kinesiology and health science departments.

Richardson said the dive pool will remain closed for an unspecified period of time.

The contractor will replaster the lap pool, replace broken tiles and drain covers in the bottom of the pool and possibly repair some of the damaged concrete decking.

Facilities Services said it is only able to afford projects that break or come to its attention as already broken, such as the River Front Center, which closed earlier this month because the pipes underneath the floorboards degraded.

“We must prioritize the repairs based on what areas are the most degraded, along with compliance to Sacramento County Code requirements,” Hafar said.

According to Chapter 16.36.335 Section 319.1 in the Sacramento County Code, “all pool, spa and hot tub piping shall be inspected and approved before being covered or concealed.”

Doris Flores, athletic training education program director, said most students said they would enroll again in the fall.

Flores said Facilities should be commended for handling all the daily responsibilities of maintaining the pool.

“I have taught swimming here since 1976, and they have done a great job keeping up the pool,” Flores said.

Yvette Oceguera, graduate student, said she loves swimming and would be upset if her summer courses were canceled because the pools closed.

“You’d think the university would have some pools for students,” Oceguera said.

Catherine Robledo can be reached at [email protected].