Council Authorizes $50k to Open City Pool Amid Drought

May 03

12:31 2023

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By Amy Bearden / Mineral Wells Area News

The West City Park Swimming Pool will be filled for swimming this season amid the outdoor watering restrictions

Due to Stage II Drought Restrictions prohibiting the City of Mineral Wells from using city water to fill the public swimming pool this summer, staff sought solutions to save the swim season and presented them to City Council at the May 2nd regular meeting.

Representatives from the local swim team came to the meeting to show their support and remind the Council how important the swimming pool is to them.

The Parks and Recreation Superintendent spoke about a City owned water well they looked at as a possible water source for the pool, but with TCEQ requirements taking 180 days, it was not feasible to use for this season.

***Swim Team members attended the City Council Meeting to give input on the importance of the public’s swimming pool.***

City Manager Dean Sullivan spoke to MWAN about the well.

“The well drilled in 2015 was not permitted and currently does not conform to TCEQ requirements for a potable public water source which have the same standards for water quality as drinking water,” he stated.

The consensus of the Council was that the pool must be open to give kids something to do in the summer, with Councilman Doyle Light even noting “there’s not a lot of other things for them to do.”

In the end, the only solution that seemed viable was to haul water in and to use the surplus budget to pay for it. The Council voted unanimously to open the pool using the extra funds to buy water, however a cap was set on the maximum that would be spent.

“With the expressed desire to keep the pool open as long as possible this season, Council allocated $50k maximum to purchase potable water to be trucked in and delivered for as long as that maximum the Council authorized will last,” said Sullivan.

“We are attempting to secure a contract with a potable licensed provider and see what we can work out regarding scheduling and availability. That provider will be from an area of the state not under drought restrictions.”

Sullivan did remind the room that they still had to locate the water to fill the million gallon pool, and amid a drought, it might be difficult.