Vashon Park District’s insurance company will cover the installation costs to repair the Vashon Pool’s drainage system, according to park district Director Elaine Ott.

“I am delighted we are not expecting to put any taxpayer dollars toward the problem,” she said in an interview last week.

During the school district’s spring break, work will begin on a drainage solution, which was approved by the state’s Department of Ecology. A culvert will be dug from the pool area to a drainage pond nearby. Filtered water, once the chlorine dissipates, will be released to the area near the pond, and pool staff will be required to test the pond water to make sure there in no chlorine in it. Scott Bonney, the pool manager, said the testing will be free to the district and not labor intensive.

Department of Ecology officials expect this remedy to work, Ott said, and if it does not, additional work will be required, but the culvert would be required for that as well.

Issues surrounding the pool’s drainage system arose last spring, when it was discovered that, following construction of the new high school, the pool’s filtering tanks no longer drained.

In the ensuing weeks, the school district spent roughly $18,000 on engineering, soil testing, regulatory reviews and project management to get to the three viable solutions, according to school Superintendent Michael Soltman. However, there was tension between the districts regarding who was responsible and who should pay to remedy the situation, making news that the park district’s insurance company will cover the installation costs particularly welcome.

“It is troublesome to me if there is any kind of strained relationship with any community partners,” Ott said.