FORKS — Want to get wet?
Just a few more weeks to wait, says Jim Baird, the recently hired director of the Quillayute Valley Aquatic Center.
After more than 20 years of planning, fundraising and encountering a fair share of speed bumps, the first swimming pool in Forks is about to open.
Health inspectors are scheduled to descend Wednesday on the center where final touches are being taken care of inside and outside the property, located across the street from City Hall.
If pool officials receive a green light from inspectors, they will open it to the public a few days later, Baird said.
“It’s just the little stuff that’s starting to come together at the end,” Baird said.
“The largest amount of work currently taking place is outside, like re-grading the ground and cleanup.”
Two swimming pools
The $2.9 million Aquatic Center, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Quillayute Valley Parks and Recreation District, features two swimming pools, both of which will be heated by natural gas and are already filled with water.
One pool measures 75 feet by approximately 40 feet and includes a spiral yellow water slide.
It also has a waterfall maker in the center that children will be able to open and close.
The other pool is for adult lap swimmers and measures 75 feet by 7 feet, with a depth varying from 3.5 to 5 feet.
The center also has a whirlpool spa and hydraulic wheelchair lifts to bring people in and out of the larger family pool.