Barton Springs Pool remains closed as crews work on repairs

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin’s most popular swimming hole still remains closed as crews work to address a leak.

If you plan on heading to Barton Springs Pool to cool off, you’ll find closed signs around the popular swimming spot.

"We were planning to come lay out and get a little tan, but we saw that I was temporarily closed," said one pool visitor, Jillian Tigrett.

This comes after the Parks and Rec Department noticed water being pulled into an abandoned pipe during maintenance on August 29.

The city of Austin says it discovered the hole had grown to two feet long and a foot wide, as well as a smaller hole.

Since a strong suction force is drawing water into the pipe, it could trap a swimmer underwater, creating a big safety risk.

One employee said for staff, the closure means reduced hours. One worker is even tasked with turning people away.

Austinites Jillian Tigrett and Marinee Jaroensuk showed up expecting to cool off Monday at the pool, but were disappointed to see it closed.

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"Yeah, we were. Because we like coming out here. We like the cold water and, you know, like, you know, you know, get enough fresh air, hot air and then jumping in the water. But we can't do that today," said Tigrett.

FOX 7 reached out to Austin Parks and Rec to try and get some answers. They sent us a statement:

"Some repairs have been made, but the project/clean-up is still ongoing. The Parks and Recreation Department hopes to announce the reopening as soon as everything has been signed off and the clean-up is completed. We are working on an update and when it has been vetted by stakeholders, it will make an announcement."

This isn't the first time Barton Springs Pool has dealt with problems with its pipes.

Back in 2018, staff noticed holes in the pipes. Staff were able to patch them, but this time, the hole was bigger, making it tougher to repair.

The proposed repair plan will seal the outlet of the old pipe in the Barking Springs area to resolve the safety concern.

In the meantime, just down the road, Deep Eddy Pool is open daily at 6 a.m. while Barton Springs Pool undergoes repairs.

Despite the closure, people are hopeful Barton Springs Pool will open soon.

"Hopefully they'll open up soon," said Jaroensuk.

A Parks and Rec spokesperson told FOX 7 it hopes to have an update on the pool this week.

You can find other available open pools in the area here.