Palolo pool in dry dock
again for 3 more weeks

Darlene Nakayama had hoped that residents -- primarily children and senior citizens -- would get a chance to swim in the Palolo Valley District Pool this Labor Day weekend.

But residents will have to wait about three more weeks.

The reopening of the Palolo Valley District Pool is delayed -- again -- after contractors ran into problems with quick-drying adhesive that was used to bond some tiles to the pool floor.

Contractors decided to switch from the quick-drying adhesive to an adhesive that will take 21 days to harden. Plastic will also be used to protect the rebonded areas from the rain.

The pool has been closed for more than a year for repairs.

"I don't think we've had another city pool that has taken this long for repairs," said Nakayama, the chairwoman of the Palolo Neighborhood Board.

"Spring has come and gone and summer has come and gone," she said, noting the two expected reopenings of the pool.

"I think everybody is frustrated, from the city to the contractor to the public," said Eugene Lee, deputy director of the Department of Design and Construction. "It's just one of those unfortunate situations."

Tim Steinberger, director of the Department of Design and Construction, had earlier said that the quick-drying adhesive used to hold the tiles were not bonding well.

Retiling work to the additional areas was soon completed, but multiple sound tests gave off hollow sounds and indicated possible poor bonding, said Lee.

Daily rains in Palolo Valley also hampered work on the pool and impacted the curing period.

KD Construction was hired by the city to repair the Palolo Pool at an estimated cost of $330,000 in addition to the Kaneohe and Booth pools at $380,000 and $82,000 respectively.

The pool was slated to reopen at the end of February, but the city determined that the work done by KD Construction's subcontractor, A-1 Construction, was unacceptable because of tile problems.

Colin Leong of KD Construction could not be reached for comment.

A dispute between KD Construction and the subcontractor further delayed the pool work. The city administration originally wanted the entire pool floor to be retiled, but A-1 Construction said only parts of the pool needed to be redone.

The city and KD Construction came to an agreement that only parts of the pool would be retiled after contractors agreed to extend the pool warranty to five years.

"We're obligated to make sure the job is done on behalf of the taxpayers," said Lee. "Ultimately, it's going to be the city that will maintain it."