“I'm super excited,” she said as the crane began lifting the crated return vent and then placing it on the ground.

The return vent was one of two pieces delivered today to make up the new dehumidification system at the center, replacing the original one in which two components failed.

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The heat of the water was turned down May 1 and with that decision the center saw about an 80 percent drop in attendance, Coker said.

Now, Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said, “We can run the water temperature up to 87 degrees and go back to business as usual.”

Once the new dehumidifier is operational, Simeon expects attendance to rebound and the usual series of therapeutic classes offered return. “We'll be back to normal operations, classes and participation within six weeks.”

Coker has fielded numerous questions from people eager to return to the pool.

The return vent is taken out of the crate.

Preparing for today's delivery, Simeon said, meant electrical upgrades, a fair amount of duct work and construction of a concrete pad on which to place the $275,000 system.

Jim Miller, a Roanoke Rapids engineer, was instrumental in helping the city find the new equipment at the right price. “I looked at companies and narrowed it down to five.”

From that list, “We narrowed it down to Dectron,” a Montreal-based company. “It's the largest of them all.”

Side by side.

The dehumidifier, Miller said, is designed to draw moisture out of the building to keep wooden I-beams inside from rotting and preventing mold.

It draws out between 20 to 30 gallons of moisture per hour said Tom Bender of Pemberton Incorporated, which will install the system and perform annual maintenance.

Miller is also a pool user and was pleased to help the city in its search for the right equipment.

He also can't wait to take the plunge. “I used the pool. When I looked at the temperature, I got interested in getting it back up. I'll be right back in there when the water warms up.”