Public pools affected by chlorine shortage
ALEXANDRA — The City of Johannesburg is working on the chemical shortage that caused East Bank pool to close during the festive season.
The shortage of pool chemicals that resulted in the closure of 20 public pools in the City of Johannesburg was regrettable, said Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
She reassured residents that the issue was currently being resolved.
“The pool closures were notable because it occurred during the hottest days in the City,” she added.
“I would like to assure residents that we have received the [necessary] stock for the cleaning of the pools. The pools will be treated and opened to the public within the next few days.”
Read: Electricity and water saving tips in a home
She said the City’s current administration was serious about offering professional services to residents and that they will make sure that there will not be a shortage of pool chemicals again.
Sifumba added that poor maintenance of filtration systems, electrical faults due to cable theft and burst pipes and leakages also contributed to the closure of some of the pools. Sifumba also voiced her concern about the state of infrastructure of the older swimming pools.
She also highlighted the importance of public pools to communities. “Public pools encourage participation in water sports. Essentially, public pools are one of the City’s ways to promote social cohesion and unity.”
The East Bank swimming pool was one of the affected pools. It was closed for a week, shortly after it was reopened to the public on 27 December. “It was not open to the public because major renovations and upgrades of the filtration system were undertaken in line with the City’s commitment to provide service with pride.”
Read: City resolves issue of pool chemical shortage
Sifumba explained that the City had more pools than any of the other metros. “We take the health and safety of residents seriously, which is why 20 pools were closed when there was a shortage of chemicals.”
The City of Johannesburg has more than 55 public pools of varying sizes and functionality which range from Olympic to regional sized pools.
