WATERVILLE — The Alfond Municipal Pool on North Street may have closed officially over the weekend, but it will reopen Wednesday and Thursday to help city residents get through the final hot days before school begins.

The season-ending swims come as the municipal pool celebrates its best revenue year yet.

The pool will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. both days and will be free for Waterville residents.

“We really feel like the residents of Waterville deserve it,” Matt Skehan, director of parks and recreation, said Tuesday.

City residents will have to show a driver’s license or a utility bill with their address on it to prove they live in the city. The normal fee of $8 for adults and $5 for children 17 and younger will apply for nonresidents.

It is a limited opening, Skehan said, meaning the staff will rotate opening parts of the pool throughout the day, because there won’t be enough lifeguard coverage for the entire space at once. The water slides will be open the entire time, but some sections of the main six-lane, 25-meter pool will be closed. There are also a kiddie pool and other water features.

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The pool officially closed on Sunday, which was also a free day, per tradition. School begins in the city next Wednesday, Aug. 31. Skehan said it is the first time in the pool’s 19-year history that it is reopening and hosting more free days after the season-ending day.

Part of this is because of the pool’s record-breaking year financially, he said. The department sold a record number of passes and is hoping the pool’s budget will come out in the black for the first time in its history. The pool’s costs that are not covered by the rates people pay are usually subsidized by taxes.

“I think a lot of it was based on the weather,” Skehan said. He said city officials also hope to maintain their staffing structure and continue buying in bulk to help future budgets.

According to the recreation coordinator, Bobbie-Jo Green, the department sold 1,628 season passes for the pool this year — up from last year by about 300. Typically, it sells around 1,000 passes, she said.

Throughout the season, 23,000 people came to the pool, which was nearly 2,000 more than last year.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that this is the year we will be in the black,” Skehan said, noting that they still have to run final numbers.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour


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