Waterloo's two municipal swimming pools are aging and local officials want the public's input on the future of aquatic offerings in the city.

Representatives from a consulting firm and Waterloo Leisure Services officials are hosting a public input meeting Thursday at the Cedar Valley SportsPlex. The session begins at 6 PM.

The meeting is being held to give residents an opportunity to shape the future of the city's aquatic offerings for the next 25 years. According to Waterloo Recreation Superintendent Mark Gallagher, discussions will focus on alternative options for existing spaces and pool amenities the public wants to have for aquatics.

Records show the municipal swimming pools at Byrnes Park and Gates Park were both built in 1981 with expected 20-year lifespans. Each facility is now badly corroded and needs to be replaced, city officials said.

Infrastructure problems prevented the Byrnes Park pool from opening in 2019. City officials kept the facility closed that summer after discovering serious deterioration of the pool's drainage system while repairing a broken pipe.

Waterloo has hired a Colorado consulting firm to complete a detailed review of the city's existing pool structures. Under terms of the contract, Ballard King & Associates and Water Technology, Inc., will do a market assessment and develop ideas for other outdoor recreational facilities that are currently lacking in Waterloo.

Thursday's meeting is part of the consulting firm's development of the master plan.

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Byrnes Park Pool / Photo By: Elwin Huffman - Townsquare Media
Byrnes Park Pool / Photo By: Elwin Huffman - Townsquare Media
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Photo By; Elwin Huffman - Townsquare Media
Photo By; Elwin Huffman - Townsquare Media
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