By Merideth Depping, KFBB Digital Producer
September 8, 2021
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The Great Falls Ice Plex announced they are delaying their opening days after a significant number of leaks were found in the pipes that keep the ice cool.
The leaks were found in the pipes that are a part of the cooling system and run a coolant underneath the ice to hold the necessary temperature for making and sustaining ice throughout the season.
Due to the leaks, ice-making has come to a halt and they are working to remove several inches of sand to expose the pipes and make repairs.
At this time it is unclear how long the repairs will take, and the Great Falls Ice Plex is estimating an opening in October.
“Our facility was constructed more than 10 years ago with a sand floor, and it’s long been a goal of the foundation to install a concrete floor that will be more stable, allow us to hold more events in the space, and also potentially expand our operational months beyond the normal September-March ice season,” a post to the Great Falls Ice Plex Facebook said.
A capital campaign for the master plan improvements was launched by the foundation in January, and the concrete floor was included in the long-range plan.
Fundraising has been increased from $700,000 to $1 million, and the leaks were marked as top priority.
If you’d like to donate toward the concrete floor installation, you can visit www.greatfallsiceplex.com or contact President@gf-ice.org.
Story Courtesy: ABC/FOX Montana (KFBB): Opening day for Great Falls Ice Plex delayed after leaks found in cooling system (September 8, 2021)
Story Courtesy: ABC/FOX Montana (KFBB): GF Ice Plex forced to make major repairs after noticing multiple leaks (September 14, 2021)