The lap pool at the Powell Aquatic Center is currently being filled — the final task necessary before the facility reopens next week. You won’t be able to jump in until Monday at 5:30 a.m., according to co-director Tanya Bonner.

“It should warm up by then,” she said while running a large-gauge hose to the edge of the deep end of the pool.

The lap pool received a fresh coat of paint over the past couple weeks — the first since the facility opened in 2010. Typically the pool is closed for two weeks a year for massive spring cleaning efforts. Staff pressure washed the leisure pool, climbed down in the manholes to clean them out and scrubbed the concession area to a nice shine, among other items on the to-do list.

This year they added an extra week for a contractor crew to do the paint job.

“It looks like a brand new pool now,” Bonner said proudly during a Tuesday interview.

Leisure in Montana traveled to Powell from Billings to handle the painting. Bonner said she was thrilled with the job they did as they were finishing up with a few small details Tuesday.

The city signed a contract with the company in January to repaint the lap pool for $60,949.65. However, the council agreed to a change order on Monday, after the Billings company wound up needing more primer.

“When they power washed it and did all their sanding, a lot more of the paint came off than they anticipated,” City Administrator Zack Thorington explained.

The change order allowed Leisure in Montana to buy up to $10,870.94 worth of additional paint, but she said the company won’t end up charging the city that full amount. The job took less paint than anticipated and there will be a refund of some of the costs, she said.

Regardless, “we have saved money in other areas” of the Powell Aquatic Center budget, Thorington said. Some of those savings came when the city had its own crews rip out the front steps instead of hiring a contractor, he said.

The main entrance will likely remain under construction after the facility reopens to replace the stairs, which were cracked and falling apart. Greg Anderson was contracted to make the repairs after the city removed the old set. Bonner said she isn’t sure if the project will be finished by the time the pool reopens, but they can enter to the side of the main entrance.

After 13 years as co-director, Bonner can’t wait to get back to business as usual. She misses the crowds.

“I can’t wait until 5:30 a.m. Monday,” she said. “I miss my people.”