By Ryan Duey

In anticipation of the Clay Center Aquatic Park opening on Memorial Day, we learned how much time and work it takes to get the large pool and surrounding area ready every summer.

While getting the pool itself ready is a long process, there is also a lot of other work that needs to be done before opening day. Rayleen Dreher, Park manager, said it’s a process that technically is all year round.

Filling the 380,000-gallon pool is also a time-consuming task. Dreher said they close valves and get winterization out before filling the pool.

It takes many months of work by dedicated people each year to get the Aquatic Park ready for enjoyment every summer.