SALT LAKE COUNTY — There are hundreds of public pools in Salt Lake County, and a quarter of them could be closed in a couple of days.
On Tuesday (Jan. 31), a new state rule goes into effect, requiring all public pools to interlock their chemical feed systems with their water circulation. This comes after a pool in Pleasant Grove had a malfunction that sent several people, including children, to the hospital in 2019, according to Brad Johnson, an environmental health scientist with the Salt Lake County Health Department.
“Chlorine gas will burn the lungs," Johnson said. "It can cause serious injury, even death, if you breathe that in.”
The Health Department isn’t concerned about public pools at rec centers; Johnson says the pools that aren't up to code are at apartment complexes, HOAs, hotels and motels.
“They’re small pools," Johnson said. "Most of the big facilities, the rec centers, the gyms, they’re in compliance, so the ones we’re still working with either they haven’t gotten the work done or they haven’t done the paper to verify with us. They’re mostly apartments.”
It would cost most pools $500 or less to meet the code, the Health Department estimates.
“We’re looking out for people to make sure they’re safe, so they can enjoy the pools," said Johnson. "I like to swim. It’s a fun place. But it’s also a potentially dangerous environment, so we want to make sure we can keep it as safe as possible.”
