Batavia parks director urges Quarry repair

Repair of the leak at Harold Hall Quarry Beach should be done before next summer's swim season, according to a recommendation from the Batavia Park District's executive director to the agency's board.

The recommendation was announced in a news release Friday.

The repair is expected to cost between $750,000 and $1 million, according to a report about the Quarry presented at the October park board meeting.

The repairs will be paid for out of the district's capital development budget, according to Executive Director Mike Clark. He says it can be done without having to raise taxes.

To prevent water loss, a grout curtain (consisting of a cement slurry injected into the Quarry's limestone walls) may be used.

The district estimates that when the Quarry is open, it loses up to 250,000 gallons of water each day through cracks. Clark has said the leakage started after a nearby dam was removed on the Fox River, causing the river's water level to drop below that of the Quarry's. The loss of water makes it difficult to keep the Quarry water warm enough for swimmers' liking, as the replacement water pumped into the facility is 58 degrees.

The park board next meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Batavia Civic Center, 327 W. Wilson St.