Elmsdale's aquatic centre was built to withstand once-in-a-century storms. Then the rain hit

The East Hants Aquatic Centre in Elmsdale, N.S., is set to reopen almost a year after massive flooding shut it down, but it's unclear why the facility was overwhelmed and how much the repairs will cost.

The two-level building features a pool and community room on the main floor, while the basement houses the mechanical and electrical systems.

The flooding happened when parts of Nova Scotia were hit with a near-historic amount of rainfall last summer, with some areas receiving as much as 250 millimetres over one weekend.

Stormwater entered the East Hants Aquatic Centre on both floors. The upper level had a few inches of stormwater, while the basement had several feet, according to a post on the Municipality of East Hants website. This caused "major damage" to the building's main electrical and mechanical systems.

"We are working with ... engineers and experts to really understand the chain of events," said Alana Tapper, the director of parks, recreation and culture for the municipality.

These photos show parts of the basement of the East Hants Aquatic Centre after most of the stormwater was removed following the flooding. The building's mechanical and electrical systems are housed in the basement and suffered major damage. (Municipality of East Hants)

The extent of the damage was surprising given the facility only opened in 2020.

While heavy rainfall was the major cause of the flooding, Tapper said improper drainage from the parking lot and nearby Highway 102 was another factor. The building is located close to exit 8 of the highway.

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said 175 to 250 millimetres of rain fell in Elmsdale, mostly within a 12-hour period.

Tapper said the building's systems were designed to accommodate storms classified as happening every 100 years, but said the amount of rainfall that fell last July 21-22 was about 140 per cent of that capacity.

Once water retreated inside the building, the equipment had to be cleaned and assessed. Not all of it could be salvaged.

"Electrical would have been pretty predominantly replacement, whereas some of the other pieces like pool filtration ... would have been refurbishment," she said.

The centre is shown in a photo from June 2020. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

Asked if sewage entered the facility, Tapper said she "can't speak to all of those pieces."

The facility was recently honoured with the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Architecture in the award of merit — large building category.

The centre is expected to reopen July 10. Tapper said long wait times for getting some of the specialized equipment is why it's taken almost a year to reopen.

Unclear how much repairs will cost

Tapper said she didn't have a cost estimate for what's been completed to date or an expected final bill. She said some of the costs will be paid by insurance coverage. As well, she said the municipality received a $570,000 grant from the province to help with the repairs through the strategic funding initiative, which provides one-time funding to projects that are significant to communities.

Sharon Robertson, who lives in nearby Lantz, N.S., was using the pool for a year leading up to its closure. Since it shut down, she's had to travel 45 minutes to do rehab exercises at a pool in Truro, N.S., which is 35 minutes longer than her trip to the East Hants Aquatic Centre.

She's looking forward to its reopening.

"I'm very excited," said Robertson. "I'm sure that they're on schedule. They've been very forthcoming with the information on the opening."

This is what the pool at the centre looks like during regular times. (Municipality of East Hants)

Robertson said she's heard skepticism from some residents about whether the building will be able to handle future extreme weather events.

"They're just concerned that if there's a lot of rain or water ... where it's going to go again."

Belnan, N.S., resident Annmarie Tucker said she and her husband moved to the community in 2023 in part because of its proximity to the East Hants Aquatic Centre. She only got to briefly enjoy using the pool before it shut down, which she said hurt her physical and mental health.

"As the weeks turned into months it became really frustrating that the repairs were taking so long ... a facility that cost that amount of money and only being 3 years old out of commission for almost a whole year seemed fiscally wrong and that many poor decisions in its planning and construction must have been made," she wrote in an email to CBC News.

Preventive measures

Tapper said steps are being taken to ensure a repeat incident doesn't happen. She said officials are considering more efficient pumps for drainage and backup power.

"We still are trying to fully grasp what that looks like," said Tapper.

She said she understands it's been difficult for residents to not have the facility available to them for the past year.

"This is a facility we're incredibly proud of and we're very excited as a team to be able to reopen for the community," said Tapper.

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