By Christina Walker

The University of Maryland’s indoor swimming complex, also known as the Natatorium, will reopen at the end of September after months of being closed for routine renovations, according to Natalie Taylor, the university’s associate director of aquatics and safety. 

The Natatorium, located in Eppley Recreation Center, closed last spring on May 15 to undergo large updates. Opened in 1998, the facilities still used the original filtration system and many parts required repairs.

“We embarked on a massive project to replace all of our filtration components for the indoor pools, and then also redo a lot of the tile work and the white coat in the 50 meter pool,” Taylor said. 

When these parts started breaking, Taylor said it became difficult to find the outdated replacements. 

Eppley lifegaurd Mary Beth Warnick said the pump room, which houses the pool equipment and chemicals for the Natatorium, needed renovations. 

“A lot of stuff in there was kind of just like patchwork eventually towards the end,” the senior kinesiology and psychology major said. 

The outdoor aquatic center will remain available to all students until the Natatorium reopens, Warnick said. 

The plastering of pools also must be periodically changed, and after completing a similar project on the instructional pool last year, it was time to update the large competition pool, Taylor said.  

The Natatorium includes one olympic-sized pool, an instructional pool, a dry sauna and a steam room. The facilities are typically enjoyed by the university’s club swimming and club water polo groups, but are also used for swimming lessons and by rental groups. 

Elisabeth Charles, president of the university’s women’s club water polo, said the club has been using the much smaller outdoor pool for practices, and the situation has been strenuous. Club water polo, club swimming and club triathlon have been sharing the space simultaneously; each club has more than 30 members who attend practices multiple days a week. 

“It was insanity,” the senior criminal justice and English major said. “Like an accident waiting to happen.” 

Some club sports members expected the Natatorium to be ready before practices began this fall, but the delay caused the clubs to have trouble recruiting new members. Charles said the temporary practice space was not suitable for allowing everyone to work on water polo and swim. 

Still, Charles emphasized how nice the university’s aquatic facilities are and how excited she is to get back into the indoor pool. Charles has competed in swimming meets since she was a child and swam at the Natatorium when she was 14. 

“[The pool reopening] would make me the happiest person in the world,” Charles said, “This is the nicest pool I’ve ever swam in.” 

Erica Meyers, a junior elementary education major and the fundraising chair for club swimming, said the team is ready for practices to be less crowded and for the tension between clubs over lane space to dissipate. 

Taylor explained there are many benefits of using the facilities, including free lessons for all university students.

“Swimming is a life skill,” Taylor said, “Everyone should be able to swim and everyone should have the opportunity to swim.”

Even if students typically use the weight room and the more traditional facilities, Taylor said people should explore the Natatorium as another option for staying active in a new and engaging way. 

Although the university’s recreation and wellness website said the indoor aquatic center will be closed through Sept. 30, Taylor said the Eppley administrators are waiting on the final inspections and it may open earlier. 

Featured Image: The Natatorium at Eppley on Sept. 19, 2023. Photo by Ian Dalrymple.