By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Dec. 21, 2017) The pool at the Lower Shore Family YMCA in Pocomoke City will close until late spring, while the dehumidification system is replaced at a cost of more than $500,000, according to Robbie Gill, CEO of YMCA of the Chesapeake.

Gill estimated more than 10,000 people in Worcester County and surrounding areas use the pool each year.

“There’s no damage as it relates to the pool itself,” he said. “The dehumidification system that’s utilized to control the humidity and airspace temperature is an old unit that was original from when the building was built, so that unit has to be replaced.”

He said the nonprofit went through an engineering process and solicited bids, and plans are to close the pool this week. Gill said no other part of Lower Shore Family YMCA operations would be affected.

“The problem we’re running into is, to operate the pool in this cold weather and not have a dehumidification system would have a negative impact on the building itself,” Gill said. “We’re better off to just go ahead and close it to protect the building, and that gives us a chance to do some upgrades to the painting and some upgrades to the structure.

“The facility is fine, it’s just that unit that’s met is life expectancy and needs to be replaced,” he added. “Those are customized units, so they’re not something you can buy on the shelf. They’re a substantial investment, to over a half-million dollars, [but] that pool is a crucial asset to the community, so you’ve got to take care of it. That’s where we teach kids to swim and do water-safety programs and everything else.”

Hill said the facility is one of the main pools serving Worcester and Somerset Counties. Water-safety programs are offered to fourth graders in both counties and high school swim teams use the pool as a practice facility, not to mention all the programming offered for YMCA members.

“It’s an important asset and we need to take care of it,” he said. “That facility’s been there for coming up on 20 years – it met its match with Father Time and it’s time to be replaced.”

Contributions to the pool repairs or to YMCA operations can be made by visiting the website www.ymcachesapeake.org/give.