"We will have to stop": Durham swim families ask city to reconsider pool fees
A nearly threefold increase in lane rental rates has community swim teams warning that higher costs could reach parents or threaten their programs.
Wes Platt
Emma Bartone, 16, worries higher lane rental fees at Durham’s city pools could put swim lessons out of reach for her family.
“I am one of three swimmers in my household, if my parents have to pay extra then we will have to stop lessons all together,” the Bull City Swimming participant wrote to Mayor Leonardo Williams.
Her letter is among a collection from swimmers, parents, and coaches asking Durham to reconsider a sharp increase in the cost of renting lanes at city pools. They say the change could make community teams unaffordable for families or leave the programs unable to cover their expenses.
The city’s Parks and Recreation fee schedule, effective Jan. 1, 2027, lists lane rentals during operating hours at $25 per lane per hour. Coaches say they currently pay $9. That’s an increase of nearly 178%.
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