Friends of the Dallas Aquatic Center president urges HVAC, boiler maintenance after pilot-light failure

Anne Hurd, president of Friends of the Dallas Aquatic Center, told the Dallas City Council on May 4 that equipment and temperature problems at the city natatorium are affecting staff and users.

"All night long, the water in the boilers gets up to 120," Hurd said, describing why early-morning showers are uncomfortably hot. She said a pilot-light failure last month required repairs and that the center has arranged preventive maintenance with a part-time employee, "Mike Sorrento, and he's a licensed boiler inspector," to monitor the boilers and reduce the risk of future failures.

Hurd also said the closed natatorium reached about 88 degrees on the morning of her comment, making the air uncomfortable for lifeguards who sit on duty in the building. "One of the priorities that's coming along is an HVAC upgrade for the natatorium to be able to bring those temperatures down so the lifeguards can actually do their job in a comfortable manner," she said.

The comment took place during the meeting's public-comment period; no formal council action on the aquatic center's requests was recorded at the meeting. Councilors did not vote on the HVAC or maintenance requests during the session, and staff did not provide a timeline or funding details at that time.

Context and next steps: Hurd noted that staff and managers attended an aquatic professional summit and are pursuing improved staff training and management practices. The council moved on to other items after public comment; any formal request for city funding or a work order would need to be brought forward by staff or included in an upcoming budget process for council consideration.