Vacaville staff outline aquatics programs, say swim‑lesson demand outpaces pool capacity

Greg Wilson, recreation coordinator for Vacaville’s aquatics program, gave the Parks and Recreation Commission an overview of operations at the Walter Graham Aquatic Center and told commissioners the facility is operating near capacity as demand for swim lessons and summer programs grows.

Wilson said the Walter Graham Aquatic Center at 1100 Alamo Drive has two main pools — a 3–5 foot recreation pool and a 7–13 foot competition pool that supports diving boards — plus a 35‑foot waterslide, a water playground for children and a party pavilion. He said the facility’s posted capacity is 606 people.

The presentation described staffing and training systems the city uses to manage a high‑risk aquatic environment: Wilson said the program employs about 54 American Red Cross–certified lifeguards, of whom 22 serve as aquatics instructors and four are lifeguard instructors who run certifications and recertifications. He outlined a training calendar that includes Title 22 (40‑hour) training, a weeklong 20‑hour summer intensive and weekly three‑hour in‑service sessions during the summer.

Wilson said swim lessons remain the program’s single highest demand, with parents registering immediately when slots open. "We have 20 to 30 children vying for a single spot in a 4‑ or 5‑person class," he said, calling the wait lists the program’s number‑one challenge. He told commissioners expanding lessons would require additional pool space and year‑round staff; previous attempts to add a single class showed promotions and later bottlenecks produced limited benefit.

Wilson also reviewed contractor and partner programming that supplements city offerings, including an adult learn‑to‑swim program run by Commissioner Fraser and a local competitive team, the Vaca Waves, which stages meets at the facility. He described seasonal special events — Glow and Slide, junior lifeguard camps, diving camp, dive‑in movies and the polar bear plunge — as well as parties, rentals and school swim trips that contribute to revenue.

In response to commissioner questions, Wilson said the department collects feedback through post‑event and swim‑lesson surveys and staff debriefs and credited maintenance crews for improved operations. He described experiments to shift lessons into shallower pools and the operational limits that made some changes infeasible.

Wilson closed by listing modest 2026 priorities: themed open swims, revamped swim‑lesson communications (including expanded signage and a revised report‑card system), outreach to new city residents, and pilot adaptive swim lessons for participants with special needs.

The commission praised staff and maintenance personnel and discussed longer‑term capacity issues, including the city’s single outdoor aquatic facility and competing regional indoor pools. Commissioners and staff agreed expanding lesson capacity will require budgeted changes — both for staffing and for additional or renovated aquatic space.