The Austin Municipal Pool will be getting some robotic cleaning help, but likely not this season.

On Aug. 3, the Austin City Council voted to approve a new $4,000 robotic vacuum to clean the pool — a measure they had previously denied. However, with the pool season wrapping up Sunday, parks and recreation director Kim Underwood said the device will be implemented in 2010.

The pool is currently cleaned by a manual pump, but it recently broke down, leading council to approve the $4,000 robot rather than spend $1,000 to repair the current vacuum.

Underwood said her department is borrowing a pump to get through the rest of this summer.

Underwood wrote in a memo to council that the robotic pump will ultimately “pay for itself” and that she supported the purchase.

The current pump requires a scuba diver to go underwater and at least one other person to monitor from above. A maintenance person also checks weekly to ensure air tanks are filled for the diver. The robotic system would eliminate the need for these tasks.

Councilman Jeff Austin, who is on the parks and recreation board, also said the robotic pump would pay for itself and recommended it to council.

He said spending $4,000 on the new system now would be more efficient than spending $1,000 on repairs plus the labor costs of running the manual pump.

The council approved the measure 4-2, with Marian Clennon and Brian McAlister opposed. Both said it’d be best to wait until next year before approving any expenditures.