New Hinsdale Central Pool Suffers Problems

HINSDALE, IL – Less than two years after it was built, the Hinsdale Central High School pool is experiencing problems, officials say.

Earlier this month, Hinsdale High School District 86 reported that Central has had an ongoing issue with the pool deck tile. This has been occurring since the pool opened in August 2021.

The district said it has been unable to resolve the problem with architectural firm Arcon, construction manager Pepper Construction and Lowery Tile.

Officials are now awaiting a final report of an independent inspection completed by an architectural and engineering firm to determine the next steps.

The initial findings point to issues with design and tile floor installation, the district said.

A school board committee found last week that the district is not at fault. It said Arcon and Pepper are committed to ensuring the district receives the floor it paid for.

The committee members agreed that the independent inspector should also examine the Hinsdale South pool, which is about a year old.

"Although the pool designs are different and South has not experienced the same issues, the inspection will protect the district and taxpayers from the possibility of an issue arising over time," the committee said.

At last week's school board meeting, Hinsdale resident Lisa Lundgren, a member of the district's now-dissolved Special Facilities Committee, said ventilation is a problem at both pools. Her son, she said, is a swimmer.

"The stands are horribly hot. The air doesn't move," she said. "It's nothing like anywhere else we've been."

This situation, she said, is dangerous.

"The lack of quality air ventilation allows the chemical vapors to rest on the water's surface, which is dangerous to student-athletes and the PE students in the water, breathing these vapors."

The pools were paid for from the proceeds of a $140 million bond referendum that voters approved in April 2019.