PETERSBURG, Va. -- On the hottest day in Central Virginia in nearly three years, a problem-plagued pool in Petersburg pool reopened for the season.
Workers said the Farmer Street Pool was facing some major problems after vandalism earlier in the year.
"The grounding system had been cut on the outside of the building and somebody had tried to take the power meter off the wall," Dean McCray, the electrical contractor who worked on the project told WTVR CBS 6 senior reporter Wayne Covil earlier this month.
McCray said the city reached out to him in late June about repairing the facility, which is the only remaining city pool.
Farmer Street Pool
McCray said necessary repairs included grounding all the metal near the pool, the ladders and lifeguard stands.
"We did a ground integrity test on the pool and it failed miserably, so a new grounding system is being installed," he said.
Both electricians and subcontractors agreed to work through the weekend last week to get the project completed.
As a result, as McCray expected, the pool reopened on Saturday.
The news of the pool reopening was welcome for Sonia Smith. She said the pool was only open about a month last year before school started back.
Smith said the pool is vital for the community.
"It is really important because I mean, it's nothing to do around here really," she said. "A lot of people can't really afford to go to the beach."
As for the children who live nearby, Sekiihya Bland was hopeful the pool would be fixed soon.
"Because every little kid in this world might want to come to the pool," the six-year-old said.
Farmer Street Pool
