Clemens Community Pool continues to serve swimmers despite ongoing concerns about its aging filtration system and infrastructure as the Philomath School District evaluates both immediate repairs and long-term solutions for the 64-year-old facility.
Philomath Superintendent of Schools Susan Halliday said the pool has continued operating longer than anticipated after renovation plans fell through in 2019 when the Benton Community Foundation withdrew a $734,000 gift.
“After that, the pool has lived longer than anybody expected it would,” Halliday said. “It’s been well cared for by our recent and prior director to be able to make sure that in collaboration with the facilities department, that we’re doing our best to be able to take care of an aging facility.”
The pool has remained operational despite known filtration system issues spanning several years. Officials are now examining both the filters themselves and the structural integrity of the racks that support them. Concerns exist about potential rack failure that could have serious consequences for the facility.
The state requires annual inspections of public swimming pools to determine if they are being operated in compliance with sanitary and safety regulations.
The district also conducted a structural inspection at the end of summer prompted by the 2024 closure of Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis after rust and corrosion were found in steel roof support beams.
“We decided that based on Osborn, we would look up top,” Halliday said. “Because if up top was not structurally sound, then it would have changed the outlook or the possibility of what was happening underneath. Once we knew we were clear structurally, now it’s just a matter of putting together the inspections, the financing, the timeline and getting all those things to gel together.”
The pool is currently closed for routine fall maintenance, including painting and cleaning. Halliday emphasized that if there were any imminent safety concerns, the facility would be shut down entirely.
When the final analysis is complete, the school district will need to determine how to fund necessary upgrades. The district could issue bonds again in 2030, but that timeline presents challenges for immediate needs.
“We know that we’re going to need to do something within a year to be able to make sure we have some things updated and put together,” Halliday said at a recent school board meeting.
Despite the infrastructure concerns, Halliday sees no issues affecting the upcoming high school swim seasons. The Corvallis Aquatic Team currently uses the pool, and Philomath High’s program will begin season preparations in October. Corvallis High may also return to use the facility.
The school district and city of Philomath have discussed forming a parks and recreation district but significant operational and logistical questions remain unanswered. Key challenges include determining how such a district would function, whether it would involve new pool construction, and coordinating the timeline for any changes.
According to Halliday, officials are also exploring whether Benton County might develop a regional aquatic facility that could serve multiple cities. While this approach presents coordination challenges, she noted that residents would likely prefer a shared regional pool over having no facility at all, even if it means the pool wouldn’t be located specifically in Philomath.
“So we’re just looking at what all is out there and what we may or may not consider,” Halliday said. “Right now, as long as Clemens Community Pool continues to be viable, we’ll have people in it.”
Rex and Ethel Clemens donated $106,000 in 1960 dollars as a gift to the community behind a philosophy that every child in Philomath should know how to swim. The pool opened Dec. 26, 1960.
“We know that pools all over the area that were built in that same time frame are starting to struggle,” Halliday said. “So, there still has to be a long-term vision about what will happen in Philomath and what will happen in Benton County that we can coordinate on.”
Halliday plans to update the school board in October with more complete information about the pool’s future.
