SEBCO Pool renovation proceeding on schedule, expected to open for next summer

August 04, 2026 Last Updated: August 03, 2026 09:40 PM Government

Project expected to finish in November

Work to renovate SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township continuesTuesday, July 28, 2026. The interior of the pool will be redone with a new liner once renovations are completed. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

The usual sounds of children playing have been noticeably absent from SEBCO Pool this summer as the pool undergoes a long-awaited renovation to replace parts of its infrastructure that date back to its opening in the 1960s.

However, the children are expected to return next summer, according to Jefferson Township manager Leo Rosenbauer, who said the $2.7 million renovation project, headed by Main Line Commercial Pools, is expected to finish by November.

“November this year is expected to be the completion date on the pool,” Rosenbauer said. “It is anticipated that we will reopen the pool for the 2027 season.

While returning pool patrons will still recognize the SEBCO Pool they know from previous visits, Rosenbauer said the improvements will be hard to miss. They include a new pool liner, filtration system and heater building. In its last two seasons before the renovation project got underway, the heater was nonfunctional for the majority of the time.

“It’ll look like a new pool,” Rosenbauer said.

Dating back to 2022, the township’s board of supervisors attempted to secure funding to renovate the pool. To date, the township has secured $1.06 million through three grants from two Pennsylvania government agencies.

Funding the renovation became the main topic of conversation in Jefferson Township throughout the winter of 2025-26, after bids for the general, electric and plumbing portions project came in at a total of $2.7 million — far exceeding what the township either expected or budgeted for.

After several months of deliberations, including a public meeting held in the township’s public works garage in January, the board of supervisors eventually voted 2-1 — with Lois Rankin dissenting — to allocate an additional $601,000 to fund the project. This additional funding was pulled from other areas of the township’s 2026 budget, and did not require the township to raise taxes.

Since then, the township has received offers of financial contributions from numerous sources, including a family trust which has offered to donate as much as $150,000, and Concordia Lutheran Services, which has offered to contribute $125,000.

Rosenbauer said there has been only one minor hitch during the restoration process so far. The general contractor discovered some broken underground supply lines that needed to be repaired, adding some extra costs to the project.

“There are a couple of existing supply lines that have been broken underground,” Rosenbauer said. “(Main Line Commercial Pools) are in the process of finding and fixing them. Repairs are probably going to be $4,800. Other than that, there really aren't a lot of existing difficulties.”

In the meantime, families who would normally be attending SEBCO Pool at this time of year have no shortage of options for cooling off while waiting for their community pool to reopen. The main choice, according to Rosenbauer, is Alameda Waterpark in Butler, which will remain open until Aug. 23.

“Residents have been acquiring season passes to Alameda,” Rosenbauer said.

Work to renovate SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township continues Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Ground has been excavated to allow for installation of new underground piping and chemical circulation space for the pool. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Work to renovate SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township continues Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The interior of the pool will be redone with a new liner once the renovations are completed. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Work to renovate the SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township continues, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Ground has been excavated to allow for installtion of new underground piping and chemical circulation space for the pool. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Work to renovate the SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township continues, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The interior of the pool will be redone with a new liner once the renovations are completed. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown