This is a day we have been dreading, but have been financially preparing for over the last several years.  The Cheney Municipal Pool has had a catastrophic failure with the pump, motor, and shaft in the filtration system, and it is beyond repair. After opening and operating the pool for two days, Sunday morning pool staff arrived to discover the system was not operational.  Maintenance staff were called in to assess the problem which was initially thought to be a broken pipe.  Upon further examination by staff, the problem was worse than originally diagnosed.  Pump and mechanical experts were contacted to provide a thorough examination of the damage.   While we had hoped to be able to repair the damage to open the pool for another season, it was not meant to be.   Below are some pictures of the damage to the filtration equipment and pipes carrying water from the “pit” within the mechanical room at the pool house to the pool.  With that being said, we are closing the pool. We realize this is a huge disappointment, but we are planning some other activities to cool off this summer.

Aquatics and water features are an important part of parks and recreation operations in cities across the country and our intent is to provide those amenities to the Cheney community. We have reserved some funds for pool/water play areas as new amenities to the community and while we don’t have enough to fully fund a large project, there are options to secure the additional money necessary to complete the anticipated projects.

Future of aquatics in Cheney:

Once we discovered the extent of the damage, City maintenance, recreation, and administrative staff met with the Mayor to discuss the situation and how to proceed from this point.  With every problem there are opportunities for positive change.  It’s time to engage with the community to gather information and opinions regarding the desire for constructing and operating a new aquatic facility and other water play amenities for the City of Cheney. Please keep an eye on our website and social media pages for information regarding public meetings and other forums to provide input.  Data from our recently conducted public surveys show that splash pads are a highly desirable amenity to add to the City parks facilities in addition to a reliable pool for swim lessons and recreation.  

Our goal is to collect the data and quickly move to formulate plans and options for the community to consider regarding the future of aquatics and water play areas and how we, along with the community’s assistance, can fund these facilities.

 Summer 2021 Swim Lessons and other water-related events:

To keep everyone cool this summer, we are scheduling Sprinkler Days in numerous parks around the city each week. Sprinklers will come on during the day for an allotted amount of time to allow children, families and pets to play in the water and cool off. We will post a calendar of the days and events once the schedule is finalized. We are also working with the school district and the fire department to offer more programs. Please keep checking our website and social media accounts for more information. 

Families that are registered for Swim Lessons can call our office at 509-498-9250 to get a refund. We are currently working with EWU Aquatics to offer swim lessons to the public. The earliest they could start would be July 19th. Lessons are contingent on EWU being able to hire enough lifeguards to run the program. We will post more information once, and if, they can offer lessons. 

Please know that we are as disappointed as you, and we are working diligently to try and make the best of the situation. The Cheney Outdoor Pool opened in 1964 and has been a focal point and staple of our community ever since. Most pools only last about 10-15 years before major maintenance is needed. We’ve extended that to over five decades due to dedicated and meticulous care by our maintenance and recreation staffs and will continue this work as we advance with future projects. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time and look forward to future possibilities.