The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) says the continuing pool leaks at the Sechelt Aquatic Centre are being taken care of, but pinpointing who's to blame for the problem is nearly impossible.
One of the pool's frequent users, Richard Halback, contacted Coast Reporter with his concerns. He said he would like to see the company responsible for the construction of the pool be liable for the repair costs.
Halback said he is not a litigious person, but he would like to see the SCRD take legal action against the companies attached to the project.
"Even if the regional district signed off on the pool before they found out about the leak, I think there is some moral responsibility that this company should have to fix the problem," he said.
The trouble is, though, several companies had a hand in working on the pool, making it hard to single out one in court, according to SCRD chief administrative officer John France.
"Due to the fact that more than one company is involved, it would be difficult to prove the culpable party," he said.
France said the SCRD board discussed its legal options in-camera, but found the repairs to the leaks will cost under $20,000, which is substantially less than going the legal route.
"It's unlikely to get to a court trial before you'd spent $20,000. It was not something that we wanted to do, but if you look at the possibility of a recovery, even if we were successful, I suspect we'd spend more than that in legal fees," France said.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that one of the businesses, which was fired from the construction early on, has since gone out of business.
Board chair Donna Shugar said she and the rest of the board share concerns over the regional district getting value for its construction dollars, but staying out of court was the best decision.
"It is being resolved. The correct research has been done. The correct legal advice has been given about who is responsible All the options have been explored and we are going to the most cost-effective and efficient road," she said.
Shugar added that SCRD taxpayers will not be left on the hook for increased repair costs.
"The costs are covered by contingency. There will be no new taxations to cover these costs," she said. "The project came in well enough under budget that we have monies left over to be used to do whatever repairs are necessary."
The pool is currently leaking about 1,500 litres per day, according to France. The repairs to the pool as well as several other upgrades including an ultraviolet light disinfectant system and some small construction projects are scheduled to be done during the two-week maintenance shutdown of the pool beginning Aug. 22.
