A rumor circulated at the Maple Valley City Council meeting Feb. 8 that the Covington Aquatic Center, which is run by the city of Covington, may be closing.

Covington City Manager Derek Matheson said at the Covington City Council meeting on Tuesday that the city had no plans to close the pool.

Matheson wrote an e-mail stating, “The City Council hasn’t given direction to close the pool or even to explore closing the pool.”

Matheson said the staff, “plans to thoroughly review revenues and expenditures in all departments, including the pool, as part of the 2011 budget process,” but closing the pool was not on the drawing board.

Covington took over the Aquatic Center, which is next to Tahoma High, from King County in 2004.

From 2007 to 2009 the city used grant money from the county among other resources to upgrade the aquatic center from top to bottom to make it a more comfortable environment as well as more energy efficient. Upgrades ranged from replacing spectator bleachers, repainting the pool surface, putting in new energy efficient LED lights and a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

A number of programs are offered at the pool including swim lessons, open public swims, as well as use by local high school swim teams for practices and meets in the fall and winter.