City officials give mixed timelines for pool reopenings as repairs, groundwater and HVAC issues persist

Boston Center for Youth and Families staff told the Ways and Means committee on May 6 that several municipal pools have either reopened or are in active repair, while others face significant structural or mechanical work that delays reopening.

BCYF reported reopenings and near‑term launches. Commissioner Marta Rivera said the department has reopened the Clarity Pool in Charlestown and Draper Pool in West Roxbury and that the Johnson community center pool has returned to service. Rivera said BCYF completed design work for several new and renovated community centers, which will support future pool and recreation needs.

Pools needing major repairs City officials described a range of problems at different sites. Edward McGuire, BCYF’s director of operations, said some pools require “a variety of issues” to be addressed, from filtration and chlorinator systems to deeper structural and ground‑water problems.

- Blackstone: BCYF described the Blackstone pool as needing a comprehensive rehabilitation because of ground‑water and shell issues. Officials said the pool would not be operational for the summer without large‑scale investment; assessments are ongoing with Boston Public Schools facilities.

- Conant/Condon: McGuire said repairs to the filtration system and chlorinator are complete at the Condon pool and that a required handicap lift is being installed; depth markers and final inspection by Inspectional Services remain outstanding. He said the department expects the pool to be operational for summer programming.

- Mildred (Millennium/Mildred C. Hailey?): BCYF said HVAC and air‑handling repairs at Mildred’s facility were in progress and that the pool shell is otherwise operational; the department scheduled reopening in May pending completion of HVAC work and permits.

- Curley: The Curley pool faced plumbing and floor drainage issues; BCYF said many problems have been fixed and larger repair planning is underway to avoid further service interruptions.

Contracting and coordination McGuire said BCYF is working with Boston Public Schools, property management, and third‑party contractors (including Weston & Sampson) and that some pools require contracts for specialized assessments and repairs. He warned that identifying 1 repair sometimes reveals follow‑on repairs (for example, a pool shell issue that leads to a ground‑water remediation requirement).

Councilors asked whether staffing would be available when pools reopen. BCYF said it has recruited seasonal lifeguards and maintains a head lifeguard model with a mix of full‑ and part‑time staff ready to staff reopening pools; the department said it continues to post lifeguard positions and expects to meet summer staffing needs.

Public safety and permitting City officials emphasized safety and permitting: pools must meet Inspectional Services rules and be safe for public programming. BCYF said it will provide reopening notices when work is complete and permits are issued.