ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been a hot summer, and city pools say they’re close to seeing pre-pandemic numbers. Now they’re looking to make upgrades to the pools that will not only conserve water but save money.
“The place people wanted to be was the pool,” said Josh Herbert, the City of Albuquerque Aquatics Division Manager. He says the high temperatures at the beginning of summer had families flocking to the pool.
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Wilson Pool near Kathryn and San Pedro is one of the oldest in the city. It recently got some big upgrades, including a new gutter system that will help improve the sanitation of the pool while also conserving water. “Now we’re not losing any water, we would lose water daily,” said Herbert. “It really added up every summer, so now we’re not losing any water,” he said.
The new gutter system cost the city about $ 600 thousand. They say it’ll save them about $ 500 thousand gallons of water a year. Herbert says that’s about how much water they lose every season, and that’s only about a three-month span.
About half of the city-run pools already have the new gutter system, and they have plans to eventually install them at all 12. There are also plans to install four new splash pads in the city at North Domingo Baca Park, Alamosa Park, Westgate Park, and near Chapparal Elementary School. North Domingo Baca Park will also be getting a full aquatic center, which will include multiple pools.
