The Woonsocket pool opened Monday despite the chill in the water due to cool weather, rain and a late start due to repairs. Swimmers could at least enjoy warmth outside of the pool as Monday was the first 80-plus degree day in over a week.
Lack of sun and warmth kept the pool icy cold after being filled, so Tara Weber had to get creative in order to get the water to a swimmable temperature. Weber devised “solar panels” and a continuous flow solar heating system in an attempt to warm up the water.
The solar panels (black garbage bags over swim “noodles” or hula hoops) seem to have been a success.
The water heating system consisted of a small water pump hooked to black hose coiled around and around on a black board. The cold water was pumped out of the pool and traveled through the hose, which had been warmed by the sun, and came out bathwater warm and was deposited back in the pool.
It was a successful apparatus, but it was decided more would be needed if they run into the same problems next year.