Students flocked to Sunset Canyon Recreation Center Wednesday during the current Los Angeles heat wave, but only one pool was open for those looking to refresh with a swim.
The center’s 50-meter Park Pool closed on Oct. 6 because a pipe burst in the mechanical room, said Dana Dickerson, Sunset Canyon Recreation Center and Aquatics manager. The burst flooded the pool’s motor, damaging electrical work.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, she said.
Maintenance to the pool is expected to take three weeks and will tentatively reopen on Oct. 24, Dickerson said.
Dickerson said patrons had been asking about the reasons for the closure.
With fewer pools, Ragan Grego, a fourth-year political science student, said the available pool is overcrowded and it is more difficult to get a good workout because of shorter swimming lanes.
To accommodate pool users during the closure, however, UCLA Recreation has expanded the hours of other facilities on campus, Dickerson said.
The center’s Family Pool is now open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Student Activities Center pool is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week. Dickerson said there will be some weekend openings for the Student Activities Center, but hours are still being determined because of pool scheduling conflicts.
Kauffman Hall’s North Pool is also open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Sunset Recreation was originally planning on closing the pool during winter break for maintenance. With the pipe burst, that work is taking place now.
The pool will now be open over the break, Dickerson said.
She said the current repair issues will take a shorter time than if they were completed over winter break.
With reports by Jake Greenberg, Bruin contributor.