Lansford Borough officials have approved a study they hope will determine if they can open the borough pool this summer.

A leak in the pool's filtration system drained millions of gallons from the pool last year, and would do the same if the pool opened in its current state.Borough council wants to find out what work is necessary to fix the leak. They agreed last week to spend $8,000 to have Wade Associates of Harrisburg complete an assessment of the pool facilities."It's the first step toward fixing or figuring out what's going on with our pool," said Rose Mary Cannon, who heads the council's Parks and Recreation committee.The $8,000 would be a burden for the cash-strapped borough's general fund. But Cannon said that the money would be coming from a separate account designated for recreation.The leak is located in a series of underground pipes, making detection and repairs costly. The facility was last renovated in the 1980s, though it has been open for more than 70 years.Two of the three lines that carry water from the pool to the filtration unit, located in the adjacent pump house, are not holding pressure, according to Cannon. The leak was discovered last summer.Wade's study will determine if there is any temporary fix that will allow them to open the pool this summer. Short of that, it will give the borough an idea of what needs to be done before the pool opens next year."They're going to see if there's any feasible way of fixing it temporarily to have it open while we're searching for funds. If that's unfeasible, our only other option would be to close for the year, get the money, and fix them up," Cannon said.The study is also necessary for the borough to be able to apply to the state Department of Conservation of Natural Resources for a grant that would fund a more permanent fix.The borough is still going ahead with the process of hiring lifeguards, while making them aware their jobs may not be available.The study should be complete by council's next meeting on April 13, so they can meet an April 18 deadline for the DCNR grant."This will give us a handle on exactly what's going on, and the opportunity to apply for the DCNR grant," Cannon said.