The world famous Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle is, at last, ready to be re-filled.
The pool was drained years ago in order to fix at least 180 major leaks and cracks that were causing hundreds of gallons of water to escape the landmark.
Construction crews have replaced all of the marble tiles and 1,500 feet of underground piping, changing it from galvanized to PVC piping. California State Parks District Superintendent Dan Falat told KSBY News Monday afternoon that the re-filling will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will take a couple of days.
The pool was filled in August of 2017 to test the status of the repairs at the time. However, that was only temporary as it was drained again and the iconic tiles replaced. Back in 2017, Inspector of Record for the project, Emilio Torres, told KSBY "(The new tiles) came from the same quarry in Vermont, the quarry that Hearst used to put the first marble on is still in operation. We were able to purchase that tile, the same colors, and veining, and bring it back."
Historic photos were used to make sure everything matches the way it was originally constructed. The 20th-century statues surrounding the pool also had restoration work.
When the fountains began to spout in the 2017 test, Falat said, "It’s an opportunity for our visitors to see something that hasn’t been seen in almost 100 years."
The Neptune Pool was also filled temporarily in 2014 when it was used as a backdrop for a Lady Gaga music video.
350,000 gallons of water are needed to fill the pool. The total cost of the renovation project is $5.4 million.
KSBY News will be there Tuesday and will have an update on later newscasts.
