Piedmont's Pool Spent Its First Summer Learning. Fall Is the Schedule It Learned.

The Piedmont Community Pool has been open for less than six months. In that time the City has changed its schedule at least four times, stopped selling one type of pass because demand ran past projections, added reservation-only swim periods, and expanded lap swim by more than 10 percent. The fall schedule that started this month is the first one built from a full season of watching who actually shows up and when.

That matters more than any opening-day spec sheet. The City's August 25 update puts it plainly:

"The first year of pool operations is a period of learning and adjustment."

Each change below responded to a specific problem from the summer. Taken together, they explain why the pool you'll use this October differs from the one that opened in April.

Six Months of Edits

The facility had a long road to opening day. In December 2024 the City projected construction would finish in late spring 2025. Crews had dealt with weather and utility delays, two buried fuel tanks, the work of making the building all-electric, and disposal of soil with arsenic in it. The City Council raised the stated project budget to $34.9 million at its December 2, 2024 meeting. The City issued a temporary certificate of occupancy on February 6, 2026. The ribbon-cutting came on April 10, in heavy rain.

After opening, the City adjusted the schedule to match how people were using the pool:

1. April 11. Public opening day was rainy and fell during school spring break, so turnout was light. Piedmont Exedra reported that residents still came by throughout the day.
2. The following weekend. Large crowds arrived, especially at the warm Activity Pool between 2 and 4 p.m. on weekend afternoons. In an April 20 email, the City asked families with young children to consider morning or evening visits. When the pool neared capacity, annual passholders got priority and drop-in visitors could end up waiting.
3. May 22. The City closed summer-pass sales to residents and nonresidents at 6 p.m. because sales were running well above the first-year operating model's projections. Annual passes stayed on sale with no planned cap.
4. June 20. In response to feedback, the City opened reservation-only Activity Pool swim periods on some evenings and weekend mornings that had been fully booked for lessons. Each period was capped at 50 people, with one or two lanes and part of the zero-depth area open. Weekend warm-water lap swim was also added from 7 to 8 a.m.
5. August 24. Lap swim in the Settlemier Competition Pool rose more than 10 percent to 80 baseline hours a week. At least five lanes now stay open until 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and until 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Almost every edit on that list either opened more time for drop-in swimmers or spread demand away from the busiest hours. The fall schedule continues in that direction.

Two Pools, Two Different Fall Weeks

The facility has two pools with different temperatures and different jobs, and this fall each one runs on its own rhythm. The Settlemier Competition Pool has 12 lanes, measures 25 yards by 27 meters, has two diving boards, and is kept at 78 to 79 degrees. The Activity Pool runs warmer, at 83 to 85 degrees, with zero-depth entry and three lap lanes. The pool's name comes from a legacy gift by Amy and Reid Settlemier during the community fundraising campaign, according to the East Bay Times.

The Competition Pool is busier in the evenings this fall. Piedmont High School water polo and the Piedmont Swim Team began their fall seasons, so through October 30 the pool is reserved for team practice starting at 5 p.m. on Mondays and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, plus parts of Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Even during team season, the City says the Competition Pool offers more than 61 hours of lap swim and 66 hours of recreational and open swim each week. The 80-hour figure from August is the baseline. The 61-hour figure is what remains while the teams share the water through the end of October.

The swim team has its own history here. The Piedmont Swim Team was founded in February 1976 and is spending its 50th season at the new pool. The team reported about 190 swimmers after holding practices at pools around the East Bay while the facility was closed.

The Activity Pool went the opposite direction this fall and freed up evenings. Fall swim lessons started September 29, and based on community feedback, weekday lessons now run only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Here is what the week looks like:

• Monday and Friday evenings: The Activity Pool is clear of weekday lessons, and the Competition Pool goes to team practice at 5 p.m. Monday and 6 p.m. Friday.
• Tuesday through Thursday evenings: Lessons are in the Activity Pool, and at least five Competition Pool lanes stay open for lap swim until 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
• Friday and Saturday: The facility now closes at 7 p.m., a change that took effect October 1.

Two dates break the pattern. The Competition Pool closes from 2 to 8 p.m. today, October 6, and again on Tuesday, October 20, for water polo games, while the Activity Pool stays open.

Because the day-by-day schedule changes by season and by week, the live calendar on the City's pool page is the reliable reference. When the pool nears capacity, a yellow alert appears at the top of rec.us/piedmont. You can also call (510) 420-3090 to ask whether limits are expected before you head over.

Cheaper to Drop In, Pricier to Commit

Fall moved pool prices in two directions at once. Summer drop-in pricing ran from Memorial Day through September 30, so a single resident adult or senior visit now costs $2 less than it did in August, while the youth rate held at $12. Annual passes went up about 10 percent on September 1. The City had pushed that increase back from the usual July 1 so pool users had three extra months at opening-season rates.

At the new prices, a resident adult pass pays for itself at about 55 visits a year at the $18 drop-in rate, roughly once a week. The Family pass works out differently. It covers up to four people in one household, with at least one and no more than two adults. Two adults and two children would pay $60 a visit at off-season drop-in rates, so the $1,471 pass breaks even at about 25 visits. Resident Family passholders can also bring one guest on every visit and receive 12 single-use guest passes with an annual pass. Resident Adult and Senior annual passes include six. Resident Adult, Senior, and Family passholders get priority registration for aquatics programs, while the Youth pass lists no added resident benefits. That priority counts for more now that lessons fit into three weekday evenings. Card purchases carry a 3 percent processing fee.

Holding a pass also matters on crowded days. The City's summer update said the Activity Pool reached capacity on several days and that passholders get admission priority when the pool nears its limit. Fall weekdays are unlikely to fill up the way summer weekends did. The rule stays in place all year, though, and the busy weekend afternoons from April showed how it plays out.

What the Calendar Holds Through Winter Break

The Recreation Department is now programming the pool for the off-season. The fall lineup included Cardboard Boat Races at the pool on September 19. Next up is a Floating Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, October 24, where children dive in to pick a floating pumpkin, then decorate it and share seasonal treats. Sessions run 1 to 2 p.m., 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and 4 to 5 p.m. The fee is $12 per child, and parents don't need to register. The pool's schedule page notes that this event may affect regular pool access that Saturday, so lap swimmers should check the calendar first.

Splash Camps at the pool are part of the Recreation Department's 20 camp offerings during the Piedmont Unified School District's November and winter breaks. Swim team practice blocks are scheduled through October 30, so November should be the first time the Competition Pool has no team-season limits since the August schedule began.

Up the hill, Food Truck Friday returns on October 16 at Community Hall, 711 Highland Avenue, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. It's an easy stop after a late-afternoon swim, before the 7 p.m. Friday closing.

Since opening, the pool has changed its schedule about every few weeks, always in the direction of more open time for drop-in swimmers. If you're deciding between an annual pass and drop-in visits, or planning family swims around a team-heavy October, Erin Chan-Adams is glad to share notes on Piedmont's community amenities and how they shape daily life in town. Let's Connect.