Many southwestern IL swimming pools want to reopen this summer. Will they be able to?
Don’t get your hopes up about going to your local public pool this summer.
Though chlorine kills the coronavirus, spreading to others remains a concern. It’s nearly impossible to social distance at a pool, said Dr. Jason Newland, a Washington University infectious disease specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“You could potentially get the virus if there’s a large gathering around the swimming pool and somebody there has the virus. That would put you at risk,” Newland said.
Pools would have to run in shifts with limited capacity. Gov. J.B. Pritkzer’s plan for reopening the economy during the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t allow groups of 50 or more until late June at the earliest, nor does it specify when pools can reopen.
For some municipalities, opening for a shortened season with limited capacity is too expensive. The cost of hiring lifeguards, filling and maintaining the pool, and extra sanitation efforts could easily outweigh revenue.
The longer pools wait to shut down for the summer, the more it will cost in keeping things ready to go if they can open, said Debbie Ferry, director of the Roxana park district and pool.
“It’s a bit of a Catch-22,” Ferry said.
To kids and parents, the pool represents an important public service, said Trevor Spohr, parks and sports superintendent for Edwardsville. City officials decided not to open the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Community Pool this summer because of safety concerns.
“It stinks,” said Spohr, who would have spent his first summer as the pool’s director. “It’s a getaway for some people.”
That’s true for Jenna Hitpas, 40, of Breese. The mom of four hopes the Breese Municipal Pool will open this year with stringent safety precautions. Her family buys a season membership every summer.
“I think right now kids need sense of normalcy more than ever,” Hitpas said. “It’s also great for their health to be in the sun and getting exercise. I’m afraid more kids will be in front of electronics this summer if all sports and outdoor activities that they have always enjoyed are canceled.”
Breese Mayor Charles Hilmes says the city plans to open their pool as long as they get permission from Illinois by July 4. The pool would limit capacity and possibly require reservations to go swim, Hilmes said. Staff also would clean the locker rooms more than the usual twice a day, he said.
“I would like to believe that we will do the job of cleaning beyond what most people can do at home,” Hilmes said.
Public health officials announced 104 additional coronavirus deaths Thursday for a total of 5,186 deaths statewide since the pandemic began.
No guidance from Illinois health officials
For now, local officials and pool directors statewide are waiting on guidance from the state. That’s the most frustrating part, said Tony Funderberg, village administrator of Freeburg. The village hopes to open its pool even if it’s just for a few weeks.
Funderberg said he would just like to know one way or the other if Illinois municipalities will be able to open their pools. He says he “gets nothing” from the governor’s office.
“One of the most upsetting things about this is states all around us are wide open, and our kids are in their houses and have been since March,” Funderberg said. “These kids need to be outside, see friends, be around others.”
Pritzker said Wednesday that the decision to reopen pools or not belongs to public health experts, not him. But any updates would be posted on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website where guidelines for businesses and industries can be found.
Illinois public poolgoers can be sure of one thing: They won’t be able to take a dip until the state says so. Pools aren’t mentioned in Phase 4 of the governor’s Restore Illinois plan, which goes into effect June 26 as long as a region meets certain statistical benchmarks.
Pritzker announced some loosened restrictions originally laid out in Phase 3, which goes into effect Friday, but there’s no guarantee he will do the same for Phase 4, nor is it guaranteed pools will be mentioned.
By the time pools are allowed to open, it might be too late for the summer 2020 season.
Here’s a list of metro-east pools, splash pads and water parks, and their plans for the summer.
Pools
Breese Municipal Pool
Will open pending state approval unless it’s after July 4, awaiting guidance
Address: 475 N. 10th St., Breese
Contact: breese.org/breese-pool; 618-526-0258
Edwardsville Glen Carbon Community Pool
Closed this summer
Address: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 88 Recreation Dr., Edwardsville
Contact: cityofedwardsville.com; 618-692-7538
Freeburg Municipal Pool
Will reopen pending state approval, awaiting guidance
Address: 310 E. Hill St., Freeburg
Contact: freeburg.com; 618-539-9178
Highland Community Pool
Awaiting guidance from the state before making a decision
Address: 2123 Park St., Highland
Contact: highlandil.gov; 618-654-4510
Mascoutah Swimming Pool
No plans to open this summer because of social distancing and sanitation concerns
Address: 901 N. 6th St., Mascoutah
Contact: mascoutah.org; 618-566-2966
Millstadt Village Pool
Awaiting guidance from the state before making a decision
Address: 305 W. Parkview Drive, Millstadt
Contact: villageofmillstadt.org; 618-476-3205
New Baden Legion Memorial Swimming Pool
Closed this summer
Address: 1103 E. Hanover St., New Baden
Contact: newbadenil.com; 618-588-3813 (Village Hall)
O’Fallon Memorial Pool
Will reopen pending state approval, awaiting guidance
Address: 415 E. 5th St., O’Fallon
Contact: ofallonparksandrec.com; 618-624-0139
Roxana Community Swimming Pool
Will reopen pending state approval, awaiting guidance
Address: 2 Park Drive, Roxana
Contact: roxanapark.org; 618-254-7485
Sparta Municipal Swimming Pool
Closed this summer
Address: 1401 Hillcrest Drive, Sparta
Contact: Facebook.com/swimatsparta; 618-443-3000
Wilson Park Pool
Might reopen pending state approval depending on date, awaiting guidance
Address: 3000 Fehling Road, Granite City
Contact: 618-877-2549
Water parks
Collinsville Aqua Park
Will reopen pending state approval, awaiting guidance
Address: 10 Gateway Drive, Collinsville
Contact: collinsvilleaquapark.com; 618-346-4571
Raging Rivers
Will reopen June 26
Address: 100 Palisades Parkway, Grafton
Contact: ragingrivers.com; 618-786-2345
Splash pads
Children’s Memorial Playground
Closed until further notice
Address: National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 442 S. DeMazenod Drive, Belleville
Contact: snows.org; 618-397-670
Citygarden Spray Plaza
Closed until further notice
Address: 801 Market St., St. Louis, MO
Contact: citygardenstl.org; 314-241-3337
Citygarden Voyager Pool and Lower Basin
- Closed until further notice
- Address: 801 Market St., St. Louis, MO
- Contact: citygardenstl.org; 314-241-3337
Kiener Plaza
Closed until further notice
Address: 500 Chestnut St., St. Louis, MO
Contact: archpark.org; 314-881-2015
Leon Corlew Park
Closed until further notice
Address: 337 S. Main St., Edwardsville
Contact: cityofedwardsville.com; 618-692-7538
Muckerman Children’s Fountain and Pop Jets
Closed until further notice
Address: Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, MO
Contact: towergrovepark.org; 314-771-2679
O’Fallon Family Sports Park
Closed until further notice
Address: 301 Obernuefemann Road, O’Fallon
Contact: ofallonparksandrec.com; 618-624-0139
Schranz Memorial Park
Closed until further notice
Address: 377 Honeysuckle Lane, Swansea
Contact: swanseail.org; 618-234-0044
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 1:17 PM.
