The Lazy River feature in the pool of the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion is currently lazier than usual as the pump that generates the water’s “flow” has stopped working.

“The area is open, but the current is not flowing,” explained the city’s Recreation Manager Jeff Betz.

City officials have ordered a new pump to replace the defective one, which has been used at the Recreation Pavilion for years. It has been used as the Lazy River pump since the pool area was remodeled into its current configuration in 2003, Betz said. Prior to 2003 it had been utilized as the main pool pump.

“It’s beyond repair at this point,” Betz disclosed, but city facilities staff are examining the pump to see if it can be rebuilt and kept as a back-up at the Pavilion.

The Lazy River is a three-foot-deep section of the pool configuration that normally flows with a light current, propelling swimmers or tube riders through its winding path. The area is still available for use, “people just have to supply their own current,” Betz noted.
The pump breakdown does impact revenue at the Recreation Pavilion, Betz added, as parties that rent the pool pay extra to have access to the Lazy River. For parties up to 40 people that choose a “Half Pool” rental option, an extra payment of $35-45 is required for Lazy River use; the Lazy River fee is included in “Full Pool” rentals that run between $230-$300. Betz estimated the loss revenue to the city could be in the hundreds of dollars.

Officials speculate the newly-ordered pump for the Lazy River could be installed and operating by mid-April.

The Recreation Pavilion was opened in November 1968, and has received a few remodels over its 45-year history. A major remodel of the facility was completed in 1995, then the pool was reconfigured in 2003.