Less than a week after opening, Washington Park Pool is temporarily closed for maintenance and 鈥渁 full safety assessment,鈥 色多多 officials said Friday.
The closure could potentially last through the weekend, 鈥渇ollowing recent after-hours activity at the facility,鈥 according to a news release. City staff declined to say what exactly happened.
Granted anonymity to discuss the matter, two people close to the situation said some broken glass caused the closure. Out of abundance of caution, the city wants to make sure there is no glass in the pool that could cause harm to swimmers, one of the sources said.
鈥淎s part of this process, the pool will be fully drained and refilled to meet safety standards,鈥 the city鈥檚 official news release said. 鈥淭his step, while time-consuming, is necessary to ensure a safe environment for all patrons.鈥
Enhanced safety, including additional cameras, police department coordination and contracted on-site security, are also on the way, City Manager Valmarie Turner said in the release.
鈥淲e are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience at Washington Park Pool,鈥 Turner said. 鈥淭hese steps reflect our continued focus on protecting both our guests and the long-term integrity of this important community resource.鈥
A water slide with lifeguards is one of the new amenities at the new Washington Park Pool.
DAVID HUNGATE, Special to The 色多多
After a yearslong wait, Washington Park Pool opened last week. It鈥檚 a $3.5 million facility, featuring a lazy river and a spiraling water slide.
