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ATTLEBORO - The newly rebuilt Spatcher Pool has made a big splash with city swimmers and city coffers.

Recreation Director Dennis Walsh said the state-owned and city-run pool reopened July 1 after being shut down for years has attracted an average of 180 swimmers a day and is responsible for half the $16,000 generated in fees by city pools so far this summer.

The $16,000 equals the amount raised over the entire summer last year. And the hotter it gets, the more swimmers show up and the more money that comes in, he said.

On Thursday, when temperatures soared into the 90s, more than 200 people used the pool, Walsh said.

While Spatcher is adding much needed money to recreation accounts, it won't boost income enough to pay for the city's contingent of lifeguards, which is the money's intended use. The total cost for lifeguards is $75,000 for the eight-week summer program. However, the cash will clearly help.

If revenue continues at the current pace, pools will generate about $42,000, or more than half the cost of the lifeguards. Last year, pool revenue covered only about 20 percent of the cost.

This year city chipped in $40,000 and another $14,000 was donated. Pool revenue was budgeted at $24,000, Walsh said.