Sacramento closed 3 pool slides last year. Why are they still shut?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sacramento closed three neighborhood pool slides in July 2024 for repairs.
- Delays in parts delivery and varied repair needs have slowed the reopening timeline.
- Only North Natomas Aquatics Complex has working slides.
Summer has effectively started at Clunie Park, which opened its pool for weekends late last month. While the pool is full of swimmers, the water slide is dry.
Clunie Pool is one of three Sacramento neighborhood pools with a water slide. The other slides are located at Glenn Hall Pool and Pannell Meadowview Pool. Since July 2024, all three slides have been closed for maintenance, and the city lacks a definitive timeline for repairs.
“We remain committed to ensuring that every community has access to safe, fun, and fully operational aquatic facilities this summer,” said city spokesperson Gabby Miller.
Currently, Sacramento’s only operational water slides are at the North Natomas Aquatics Complex, which is far from the affected neighborhood pools.
The complex is a 16-minute drive from Clunie Pool, a 22-minute drive from Pannell Meadowview Pool and a 25-minute drive from Glenn Hall Pool. Using public transit, the fastest trip from an affected pool to the complex is an hour and a half.
The state of the slides
Despite closing simultaneously eleven months ago, each neighborhood pool slide has different maintenance needs.
The slide at Glenn Hall pool requires small fixes including an adjusted handrail and a new coat of paint. The city’s on-call contractor plans to finish these tasks before neighborhood pools open on June 14, but the slide will require an additional inspection before it reopens.
The other water slides are in worse condition.
The slide at Pannell Meadowview Pool needs extensive work, including a resurfaced chute and updated stairs. Work is underway on the slide’s surface, but the broken stairs remain untouched.
“The repairs of the stairs were to follow, with the planned completion before the pool opened this summer,” said Miller. “But we were recently informed that parts for the stairs are taking longer than the contractor was originally quoted for delivery, and this will cause a delay.”
The city is exploring alternative means of fixing the stairs, but did not say when the work will begin or finish.
At Clunie Pool, it is time for swimmers to say goodbye to the slide altogether. It will be replaced this summer.
“Our on-call contractor has ordered the slide, and the installation date will be scheduled once a delivery date has been confirmed,” said Miller.
The city will need to hire additional lifeguards to operate the slides. While the slides are in use, one lifeguard monitors the entrance while another scans the exit. Southside Park Pool, which is reopening after three years, will also need new lifeguards.
According to Miller, “Our current budget has a sufficient number of aquatic staff positions to operate all of our aquatic facilities and features including Southside and the slides.”
Once the slides are repaired, this will be Sacramento’s first summer with complete aquatics facilities since 2018.
