City leaders say the pump room under the pool at Long Meadow Park is below grade, and the solution won't be quick or cheap.
However, the closing is quite an inconvenience for many families living nearby, who have a limited income and have few options to cool down.
Trying to beat the heat, little Hasan Mason and his dad ended up on an unexpected journey Wednesday.
"We had to ride our bikes over here! Yeah, it's hot," said Ruben Mason, Hasan's father.
A mile and a half bike ride in the sweltering heat, all because the water park in Durham is closed for the summer.
"Good place to take the kids. They got the slide. It's bigger," Ruben said.
However, now the nearest indoor pools are between two to three miles away. For Hasan and his dad, the water park in the Forest Hills community would be a two and a half mile bike ride.
"It was a tough decision but what we've done is identified bus routes. Children 12 and under can ride for free. For teens, it's 25-cents," said Durham Parks and Recreation Director Rhonda Parker.
Parker says for several years, maintenance workers have tried to locate a water leak that floods the pump room under the pool.
"You have water that's actually shooting across the stairs that staff have to walk down into. It's flooding in the pump room. We have electrical equipment down there. So we have an electrical issue, and we also have a tripping issue. Our main point is to be safe for our employees and for the public," Parker said.
The city has spent $135,000 in repairs, but to no avail.
Now an outside firm is investigating. A damage assessment is expected later this summer.
"It's a comprehensive assessment that has never been done at any of our aquatics facilities," Parker said.
Still, unless there's a quick fix, the pool at Long Meadow Park could be closed next summer.
"I'm hoping they get it fixed before next summer. I'm hoping we won't have to ride our bikes next summer," Ruben said.
The city will get a report on all five of its public pools in August. Long Meadow Park is the priority but the timeline for funding and repairs is anywhere between January and December of next year.
Durham Parks and Recreation has extended pool hours at other locations because of this closure.
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