Waterloo Pool remains closed as Denison weighs structural repairs

By GvilleTX Newsroom

Waterloo Pool users in Denison have no date for returning to the water after the city announced an indefinite closure for structural repairs on Aug. 24, 2026. The city’s announcement says a Fire Marshal’s Office evaluation prompted the shutdown to protect swimmers and staff. City closure announcement.

The shutdown affects a facility whose usual schedule extends through every season. Denison’s municipal listing says Waterloo serves three swim teams and provides swimming instruction. It also offers fitness classes and lap swimming. City facility listing.

Denison says employees will contact people who have reservations or are enrolled in programs. Staff and consultants are determining the next steps, according to the pool’s closure notice, which sets no reopening deadline. Pool notice.

An assessment commissioned in July 2023 documented problems with the building enclosing the pool, according to a city staff report. Engineers found corrosion and insufficient resistance to sideways forces. They warned that weakened column bases could fail and recommended suspending use when forecast winds exceeded 25 mph. Structural assessment summary.

Denison City Council unanimously approved a structural repair option that September and permitted continued operation under the wind restriction, according to council records. Council action.

The city’s amended fiscal 2025 budget describes how funding constraints subsequently narrowed the work as estimated construction costs rose. The reduced project covered emergency structural reinforcement and equipment repairs, including an air-exchange system. Its projected extension of the pool’s useful life depended on preventive maintenance while Denison explored replacement. Amended budget.

The council records, structural staff report and amended budget trace those plans:

| Repair planning stage | Cost or projected service |

| --- | --- |

| Repair option approved in September 2023 | $2.4 million; projected 20 years |

| Replacement alternative considered in 2023 | Projected 50 years |

| Later construction estimate | $4.9 million |

| Reduced emergency repair scope | About $500,000 |

| Projected service after reduced repairs, with preventive maintenance | Five to ten years |

Denison’s specific calendar entry schedules a special City Council meeting for Sept. 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. The entry confirms the meeting’s date and time; the verified records do not establish whether Waterloo Pool will be discussed. Special meeting entry.

For a Gainesville admission comparison, the cities’ posted schedules put Waterloo’s nonresident charge above the admission price at Leonard Park Aquatic Center. Waterloo admission schedule, Leonard Park facility listing.

| Facility and admission category | Posted price |

| --- | --- |

| Waterloo Pool: nonresidents | $7 |

| Leonard Park Aquatic Center: ages two and older | $6 |