City of Mesquite Town East Pool Remodel

The pool is better than new.  Needing a place for competitors from Mesquite's four high schools and age-group competition swimming programs, the city decided it was high time to remodel the city pool in the Town East part of this city of 125,000 people on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas.  The 30-year old concrete pool was already 25-meter x 6-lane pool but was far too shallow for competition and diving.  The plumbing system for all intents and purposes was shot and the chemical and filtration systems were obsolete. Working with Eubanks-Harris Architects, Tyler, Texas, aquatics consultant Terry Brannon of The C. T. Brannon Corporation opted to replace the ancient bath house with something more modern and meeting current codes while at the same time offering showers and dressing facilities for swimmers . . . something that was never there before.  Parking lot lights, fences and decks were also replaced. The old residential style filter banks were replaced with a Natare stainless steel vacuum sand filter with pneumatically controlled backwash systems. To increase the depth of the pool, Brannon created a "Florida" style curb about three feet wide around the entire perimeter  to replace the old deck level tiled gutter and raised the pool surface some 14-inches using a roll out style Natare V-800 perimeter overflow system.  Raising the deck gave swimmers a 5'-0" depth at the starting blocks and just over 4'-6" depth at the turning end.

The V-800 brings the water level up to almost deck height giving the pool an elevated appearance over the height of the concrete decks which is quite striking when you walk through the front wrought iron gates through the breezeway to the pool.  Natare's stainless steel V-800 system contains the overflow in a gravity gutter much like a tiled gutter would but the V-800 also includes a pressure tube which carries filtered water back to the pool.  This allows the pool to be re-plumbed without replacing all the buried pipes and without penetrating the old concrete walls and risking leaks. The pool was heated with a Teledyne-Laars 2.1 million Btuh gas fired pool heater to make the pool usable virtually year-long in the North Texas mild winters. Pool walls were blasted clean of at least two previous paint coats and the surface was then plastered .with white marble-ized pool plaster. By improving the filtration rates and filtration equipment, the pool can be kept sparkling clear.  The city also wanted installed a Strantrol System 5 to maintain water chemistry and minimize wasting of chemicals.  A liquid acid system was selected for pH control but the Pulsar IV dry briquette calcium hypochlorinator was selected for the disinfectant system.  Total project cost was right at $1.25 million dollars including bath house, walks, decks, asphalt overlay on the parking lot; electrical and lighting; pool renovations and complete new fencing.  This price also included racing lane marker lines, float lines, deck markers, and thermal covers.  The decks were coated with an acrylic surfacing to keep them cool in the hot Texas summers. The "Florida" style curb was coated with granulated rubber for traction and color. Lauren Miller, Construction Project Manager, for the City of Mesquite and his staff were instrumental in coordinating city efforts and making inspections.  The construction contract was completed in May, 2002.