Maytag Pool waterslides to see repair and recoloring

Now that Newton Parks & Recreation has nailed down a contractor to restore two weather-beaten waterslides at Maytag Pool for half the projected price tag, all the department has to do is wait for the right moment to take the final plunge.

Days after the Newton City Council adopted a resolution awarding a contract with Slide Pros of Oronogo, Mo., for the Maytag Pool Waterslides Rehabilitation Project, Community Services Manager Brian Laube expounded upon the arrangement with park board members Wednesday.

If all goes to plan, both waterslides at Maytag Pool will undergo interior and exterior repairs, rehabilitation, minor maintenance work and color changes sometime between Aug. 23 and the first to second week in May 2019, before the pool would need to be filled and prepared for summer hours.

Initially budgeted as an $80,000 project, Laube acquired five bids and selected Slide Pros, a contractor he said specializes in this type of job. Installed in 1997, the waterslides have deteriorated with age and from constant UV exposure and contact with chlorinated water; however, both slides are still safe and usable by pool patrons.

During the city council meeting Monday, councilwoman Evelyn George said she has driven through Maytag Park and noticed leaks from the waterslides.

“It’s far more than just the original color fade,” she said. “There’s need for repair.”

Laube said he and his department will address the leaking.

“These waterslides, it’s not cost-effective to tear them completely apart and put all new gaskets and seals in it. ... There will be ongoing maintenance in future years on that. It will substantially be reduced or eliminated for the most part early on,” he said.

Still, Laube said both pool structures are in need of preservation. At the Wednesday meeting, Laube entertained the idea of new color schemes for both waterslides, offering photo examples of what the completed slides might look like to park board members and attendees.

After speaking with lifeguards and Newton Parks & Rec staff, he said the now-gray flume slide would transition into a dual-color scheme with a white interior and blue exterior, while the forest green tube slide would be painted a bright yellow.

Feedback he received from lifeguards said the dark colors would often make the tube slide too hot for pool guests. The inside portion of the enclosed tube, Laube added, will not been recolored since it was not exposed to weather conditions. However, the entrance and exit will be recolored and repaired.

In April, Laube said the rehabilitation project will add an estimated 15 to 20 years of life to the waterslides.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com