The Lansford pool is no longer holding water.

A local firm was able to punch holes in the bottom of the pool to allow the water to drain, Councilwoman Gwyneth Collevechio said this week.

The pool, which has been closed since 2015 due to a large water leak, had continued to fill with water to the level of the skimmers and piping, causing a hazard.

Council earlier this year awarded a $1,000 contract to Radocha Excavating to put holes in the bottom of the pool.

In May, the borough received a $35,000 estimate from Radocha to fill in the pool, and discussed incorporating the costs into a long-term plan. Then, in June, council again discussed filling in the pool and sought costs from its engineer.

Efforts to save the pool ended in August 2023 and council gave up on a new pool due to a more than $3 million price tag and the community’s inability to financially support a pool.

With community members continuing to talk about saving the pool into 2025, council opened the complex up to residents to show them the condition of the pool, which had gone beyond the point of repair.

Eight people showed up to see the pool’s condition.

Council had discussed a splash pad as an alternative to a pool and sought grants for one and also a feasibility study, a process that has continued for about two years.

With little movement regarding the splash pad or funds, council this year began talking about other uses for the fenced-in pool complex, including pavilions, a walking track and a band shell or outdoor amphitheater.

Council President Bruce Markovich on Friday said that he plans to discuss hiring a certified consultant to review the pool complex and all of the playground and recreational facilities in the borough.

The borough could apply for a grant for a consultant through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, he said. DCNR would fund half the cost and he suggested the borough use money from the “Pool CD,” a fund that has about $43,000 in it, for the other half.

A consultant will then develop a three-year, or five-year, plan to make improvements, Markovich said.

“We need a certified plan in order to apply for a lot of the funding available,” he said.