PARK BOARD VIEWS AGING CAPAHA POOL

Not everything gets better with age. Especially swimming pools.

Members of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Advisory Board got an underground look Monday at the aging pipes and pumps that could be the pool's detriment.

Leaking water from a pipe dripped onto a concrete floor. The sound of rushing water nearly drowned out voices as the 360,000 gallons of water slowly pumped into the pool.

Parks staff began filling the pool Monday and the job should be complete today. The pool is set to open for the summer May 29.

Capaha Pool was built in 1957 and is the oldest of the city's two pools. It is beginning to show signs of age, park board members learned.

"The lines are 42 years old, and if that line ruptures then we're done," said Doug Gannon, pools supervisor.

Because the piping system is pressurized to get water pumped into the pool, any leak could cause the pool to shut down -- maybe forever, if the leak were to be severe enough.

Parks Supervisor Dan Muser said the tour at the pool was just to show what kind of shape the pool is in. "Because of its age, it's always a guess if we can have it operational."

The parks department tries to keep up with general maintenance by fixing tiles, painting and repairing concrete steps and walkways. But replacing an entire pipe that runs the perimeter of the pool "isn't something that you can just fix," Muser said.

The board is considering options for replacing the pool, possibly with an aquatic center that entire families can enjoy.

The idea of an aquatic center isn't really new; it was put to a vote about 10 years ago but was defeated at the polls.

But Muser said the idea has not ever gone away.

"There will come a time when we have to replace the pool," he said. "We can look at something different that is something better."

An aquatic center would be a tourism draw for the entire region, said Gannon, particularly because there is nothing like it in the area.

At least five acres of land would be needed to create the water park, so park members looked at other possible sites like Cherokee Park and Delaware Park, which is still being developed. And there is also the option of purchasing land and adding it to the park system, Muser said.

"This is one of the issues that we are trying to deal with," he said.

By talking about a possible aquatic center now, it shows that the parks board is planning for the future, especially when it comes time to replace Capaha Pool, Muser said.

In addition to maintaining Capaha and Central pools, the parks department oversees 21 parks and three cemeteries that total 600 acres.