PIERCE COLLEGE : Leaks Force Swim Team to Move

The Pierce College swim team has moved its practices to Cal State Northridge and Woodcrest School in Tarzana because of leaks in the campus swimming pool.

The pool was closed in December and probably will not be fixed until March 15 at the earliest, said Dave Bush, the college’s building and grounds administrator.

“Obviously, it puts our swim team at a tremendous disadvantage,” said Fred Shaw, team coach.

In addition, eight swimming skills classes and a beginning aqua aerobics class being offered this semester were disrupted, officials said.

The leaks were discovered after a Nov. 30 power outage when the water level in the 400,000-gallon pool began dropping up to three inches a day.

Two-thirds of the water in the pool drained through the leaks over a three-week period and the remaining third was pumped out.

Bush said it will cost about $15,000 to repair the cracks.

Water draining through cracks in the pool can wash away large quantities of dirt beneath the pool, creating large gaps, he said.