Burst pipe pulls the plug on Mansfield pool's plans to make a splash with grand reopening

Two swimming pools at Mansfield’s Water Meadows look set to be closed for a ‘few weeks’ because of a fractured pipe – just days before they were due to re-open to the public after lockdown.
By Katrina Taylor
Published 20th May 2021, 17:38 BST
Staff at Water Meadows had been looking forward to customers returning to its fun pools this weekend.Staff at Water Meadows had been looking forward to customers returning to its fun pools this weekend.
Staff at Water Meadows had been looking forward to customers returning to its fun pools this weekend.

Leisure chiefs say the fun and training pools at the popular complex will be out of action while urgent work is carried out to repair the damage.

The pipe fractured while work was taking place to replace valves ready for refilling the pool – something the centre’s management team says ‘could not have been anticipated’.

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Four hundred swimmers were due to descend on Water Meadows this weekend to enjoy the pirate pool for the first time in months.

But now they will be contacted ‘to arrange for a refund or to re-book for a future session’.

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Andrew Smith, contract manager for Mansfield District Leisure Trust, which operates Water Meadows in partnership with Serco Leisure on behalf of Mansfield District Council, said: “The primary reason for the closure of the leisure and teaching pools was to allow us to re-grout these parts of the facility.

"This is an essential maintenance operation as grout can wear away over time, resulting in either water seeping under the tiles or sharp edges being exposed.

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“While the pool was empty, we also took the opportunity to replace several valves which had failed.

"It was while one of the valves was being replaced that the fracture occurred.

"This is not something that could have been anticipated; there is always a small risk that this may occur in older pools as the pipework can become brittle.

"Unfortunately, the location of the fracture means that some new pipework will need to be fabricated and installed.

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"We are working with our contractors on this as a matter of urgency, and will update customers when we have a clear idea on when the work will be completed.

“We appreciate and share the disappointment of our customers as we were greatly looking forward to reopening on Saturday and had 400 visits booked.

"We will be contacting all customers to arrange for a refund or to rebook for a future session.”

The centre’s competition pool and gym remain open.

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Related topics:Mansfield