Well, we didn’t expect that.

When we posted our usual poll last weekend, asking if people if they would use a public swimming pool, if one opened in Lawrence County, the level of response was astronomical.

The survey ended up easily being our most voted-on poll, with more responses coming in during the first hour than our poll questions typically receive in a week.

And, of those responses, the results were overwhelmingly in favor of opening a pool.

Currently, there are no public swimming facilities in Lawrence County. Both Ironton and South Point used to have public pools, but those both closed a few decades ago.

It’s clear that the demand is there and, if some business person wanted to explore the potential of opening a pay-as-you-go, rather than a membership facility, it could have potential.

As for a municipal-operated facility, if residents are serious about it, they may want to reach out to officials and let them know.

However, such a facility would clearly have costs and, though it did not include a pool, the Ironton recreation levy is currently hanging by a thread in a recount.

The appetite to pay for such a facility may not exist among the public, though if funds from a proposal were specifically set aside for something tangible, that could change.

One option to be considered was expressed in the comments of our post on Facebook, in which it was suggested that an aquatic facility could be used to also host athletics from local schools. Perhaps a collaboration between the county, municipalities and school districts could be worth exploring there.

In any case, from the results of our survey, while informal and not a scientific representation, there is clearly a large segment of the population who have been vocal that they would like to see some sort of swimming facility, and this is a subject that is worth considering for the area.

Survey results:

We asked readers of The Tribune on our website: “There are no longer any public swimming pools in Lawrence County. If a municipality opened one, would you and your family use it?”
Here are the results:
• Yes – 85 percent
• No – 12 percent
• Don’t know – 3 percent