An 11-year-old underground pipe responsible for freezing the ice rink surfaces at the Pelham Civic Complex has been retired from service.

General Manger Chris Holler said the cast iron pipe has been replaced with four 6-inch pipes that are above ground. The pipes are filled with glycol, a freezing agent used for maintaining supercold temperatures and solid rink floors.

“We had a leak with the glycol pipe that runs under the complex,” Holler said. “Water had frozen around the pipe so we had to abandon the pipe because we could not get to it to fix it.”

The two-month repairs cost an estimated $375,000, Holler said. Repairs began in July and were completed in August — just in time for the youth hockey season.

“We wanted to get back up and running before they started,” Holler said.

The Civic Complex has two National Hockey League size ice rinks. One rink is home to the Pelham Skating School, which provides instruction for hockey players and beginner and recreational figure skaters.

In addition to hosting the Youth Hockey League and Skating School, the Civic Complex is home to Birmingham Figure Skating Club events.

The Civic Complex is a member of the Ice Skating Institute and the United States Figure Skating Association.