Wasilla pool reopens as officials prep lesson system overhaul

What you need to know:

• The Wasilla High School pool reopened Monday after a nearly three-month closure for major repairs, including new piping, drain replacements, fresh paint and refinished floors.
• Pools repairs included replacing about 300 feet of old piping, fixing more than 20 rust spots and reopening a previously closed family changing room. Officials also installed five new security cameras.
• The updates come as borough officials prepare to introduce a new online platform to streamline pool reservations, swim lesson sign-ups and facility rentals. Registration for April swim lessons opens soon.

WASILLA – The Matanuska-Susitna Borough pool at Wasilla High School reopened Monday after nearly three months of closure, with a fresh coat of paint on the walls, refinished locker room floors and major repairs to its underground drain system.

The facility closed in early January for extensive repairs, including the installation of about 300 feet of new piping to replace sections originally installed in the 1970s, construction officials said.

Crews also replaced about 30 drains and pipe access points throughout the pool building, including a clogged system that had forced officials to close one of the building's two family shower and changing rooms for more than two years. That room is now reopened and available for use, officials said.

More than 20 rust spots along the bottom of the pool were also repaired, as was an underground area used to clean the pool's filter. Officials also installed five new security cameras throughout the building, including on the pool deck, they said.

The closure was originally scheduled to last through late March, but contractors finished ahead of schedule, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Community Development Director Jillian Morrissey said during a preview of the facility Friday.

The project was expected to cost about $586,000.

The reopening comes as borough recreation officials prepare to launch a new online reservation system for the Wasilla and Palmer pools, Morrisey said.

The platform, already in use at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla, will streamline class registration and facility rentals, officials said. It will also allow users to preregister for open swim sessions and skip long lines at the pool door. A portion of open swim slots will still be available for onsite purchase, they said.

Registration for April swim lessons through the new platform opens for Palmer on March 20 at 7:30 a.m. and for Wasilla on April 7 at 8 a.m. The registration portal can be accessed through the borough's website. Registration can also be done in person at either pool, officials said.

Pool schedules and fee information can be found on the borough's website or recreation Facebook page.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com