Take a dip in Arroios. Safety issues resolved, pool reopens three years later

"Serious structural problems" led to the closure of the Arroios Pool, just one year after its inauguration. The Parish Council, justifying the "immediate closure" after years of construction, stated a report prepared as part of the initial maintenance, which identified problems ranging from "water leaks at the bottom of the pool bowl, air bubbles, and deformations in the screen" to "poor functioning of the moisture extraction and air exchange system and areas of slippery flooring unsuitable for swimming."

Fearing that users of the facility, inaugurated in 2021 by the previous executive, would be at risk, the parish council, now led by Madalena Natividade, decreed "the immediate emptying of the pool and its closure" to complete the necessary renovations. Now, three years after its closure, the Arroios Pool has been "returned to the community," the Parish Council stated in a statement seen by SAPO. Registration is open for use starting August 15th. "This renovated facility is the reflection of persistent work, conscious investment, and a promise kept," emphasizes the current Arroios parish council.

"The closure, initially planned as temporary, proved necessary due to serious infrastructure irregularities, legal difficulties, and technical requirements that required in-depth and rigorous intervention. A demanding and indispensable intervention," explains the parish, outlining the efforts undertaken to "return this essential sports facility to the community as a safe, modern, and functional space."

According to the executive, the work carried out included procedures ranging from opening a new access to the Transformation Station, "ensuring safe technical circulation," to replacing doors and modernizing the changing rooms, with an overhaul of equipment and hydraulic circuits; "installing electric water heaters for efficient hot water supply; updating the electrical networks, with circuit verification and installation of new panels; repairs to the pool basin and rectification of the surround, in accordance with the approved technical design; reinforcing the piping and mechanical equipment; and also applying a non-slip varnish and general safety and accessibility improvements." "Each of these steps was executed with the goal of ensuring comfort, functionality, and longevity of the infrastructure."

The pool is now part of the parish's sports facilities network, "offering regular classes and activities for all ages, with enhanced accessibility," those responsible say, assuring that it is now "a safe, dignified, and functional space for parishioners, as it always should have been."

"This reopening represents the culmination of a complex technical and administrative process, the completion of which has only now been possible," adds the Parish Council, reaffirming its "commitment to promoting sport, health and the well-being of the population."