City approves extra funding for roof repairs at Aquatic Centre

The City of Swift Current has to dip into funds from the 2019 capital budget to carry out urgent roof repair work at the Aquatic Centre.

Councillors approved $70,000 from the 2019 capital budget for the Aquatic Centre main roof repair project during a regular council meeting, June 18.

Council also approved a recommendation from administration to hire ProFoam Insulators Ltd. of Swift Current to do the Aquatic Centre main roof repair at a cost of $120,000 (excluding GST and PST). Acting Manager of Community Services Andy Toth said the intention was to do the repair work in phases, but it has become clear the work needs to be done as soon as possible.

“It was divided over a four-year period to do certain sections of it, but it’s deteriorated to a point right now that we have to replace the whole roof,” he mentioned.

The Aquatic Centre was constructed in 1980 and the roof has four sections. The main roof is about 17,000 square feet and the other three sections are each less than 2,000 square feet. The main roof has been leaking increasingly since 2014. Water from the roof will leak through the ceiling and overhead lights into the main pool, tot pool, hot tub and perimeter deck areas. An engineering firm carried out a roof condition assessment in 2015 and determined that the main roof had an estimated life span of one to four years while the smaller roof sections still had a life span of five to 10 years.

Council approved $75,000 in the 2018 capital budget for repair work to the main roof and the intention was to carry out the work over a four-year period.

“In assessing which area to replace this year, it has been determined that the entire main roof should be replaced as a single entity at the same time,” Toth said. “The leaking has increased, and the entire main roof continues to deteriorate very rapidly. This will ensure that the entire roof is sealed and that the roof water doesn't move from one area to another area, finding cracks and other areas to permeate.”

Two options were considered for the repair work. The more costly option was a full structural roof replacement with a rubber membrane at a cost of $636,325. City administration recommended the more affordable spray foam option at a cost of $120,000. According to Toth the two inch foam insulation with top liner will be the most efficient and cost effective option.

“We’ve been using this foam insulation roof and it has gone very well for us on some of the other buildings that we’ve been using it on,” he said. “So to go in and reconstruct the roof to its existing state was the far more expensive option.”

“We consider this work to be an emergency and needs to take place immediately,” he said. “If we wait to complete the repairs after next school year and before the swimming and diving events for the Western Canada Summer Games, it gives us little room for error. As well, another summer and winter without repairing the entire roof may result in further deterioration, including closure for patching and repairs and impact patron and user group safety and facility usage.”

The work will start as soon as the current school year ends, when the students and teachers from the adjacent Swift Current Comprehensive High School will be away.

The approval of additional funds from the 2019 capital budget will result in a total available amount of $145,000 for this project.

There will be an additional charge for the disposal of existing roof liner and this amount will also cover any unforeseen costs due to the condition of the roof's subsurface.