Renovated pool at Costa Mesa rec center to reopen next week

The pool at Costa Mesa’s Downtown Recreation Center is scheduled to reopen next week following a months-long renovation project.

Since its closure Oct. 1, workers have replaced the concrete deck surrounding the 25-yard outdoor pool and swapped out the old heater and pump system for new models, according to city interim Public Services Director Raja Sethuraman.

Replacing the deck was the big-ticket item, accounting for almost half of the nearly $170,000 renovation.

That work was necessary, Sethuraman said, because the old deck “had deteriorated significantly, making the surface extremely slippery when wet, especially around the shower location.”

“There were also rebar stains and signs of deterioration within the structural section of the old deck throughout the entire area,” he wrote in an email.

The city also repaired cracks and replaced rusted rebar in the pool’s floor. Scuba divers assisted in that work.

Sethuraman said the city decided to replace the pool’s heating system to make it more reliable and energy-efficient. Workers also placed a variable frequency drive on the pool’s pump to reduce energy use and installed new chemistry and backwash controllers.

All the old equipment had been in place since the pool originally opened some 15 years ago and was due for an upgrade, Sethuraman said.

The pool, at 1860 Anaheim Ave., is expected to reopen Jan. 3.