New regulations leave high school pool needing renovations

Posted on January 24, 2012 to ADA, Industry News, VGB

Whitefish Bay’s swimming pool was known as the “fastest pool in the state” when it was built in the 1960s, but now the pool can’t even host a swim meet unless it receives a $200,000 upgrade.

This school year, Whitefish Bay High School’s boys and girls swim teams each only hosted one home swim meet because races are required to start in the water, not on blocks or pool deck, as normally happens.

The change in starting location comes as a result of a new safety regulation imposed this school year by the National Federation of High Schools, which ruled that swimmers cannot launch from the deck unless the water is 4 feet deep. Whitefish Bay’s pool is only 3 feet, 6 inches deep at each end, which was accepted until the organization notified the school in August.

“Our pool was built in an era when pools were designed to be community-friendly by having two shallow ends,” Whitefish Bay High School Activities Director John Gustavson said. “Pools across the country are having this problem.”

Swimmers have not been able to start from starting blocks at Whitefish Bay for more than 10 years, as regulations prohibited launching from starting blocks 30 inches above the water unless the water was at least 4 feet deep.

Instead of changing the depth of the pool — which Gustavson said would require roughly $3 million — the school has plans to purchase a moveable wall, known as a bulkhead, that would allow the swimmers to launch from starting blocks at a deeper area of the pool, in the diving well. The moveable bulkhead would be positioned to allow six racing lanes in a direction perpendicular to the current racing lanes.

With the moveable bulkhead in place, the school would be able to host swim meets, invitationals and other events at the school, so the renovation plans also include the purchase of new starting blocks, a scoreboard and a timing system.

The Nebbish Society, a group of swim program supporters named after the team’s mascot, is asking the community to contribute to the $200,000 renovation. For every dollar donated, an anonymous donor will donate an additional dollar, with a maximum total donation of $50,000. The North Shore Swim Club, which uses the pool, is also conducting a fundraiser.

The swim program has set an aggressive renovation schedule, with the hope of raising money by Feb. 29 and completing the upgrades before summer swim lessons and the start of the girls swim season in fall.

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