While some pools show signs of readiness, shortages of chlorine and unresolved administrative hurdles could delay their reopening.
It is unclear if municipal swimming pools in the City of Tshwane will be ready to open in two weeks’ time, with spring around the corner and temperatures already starting to warm up after winter.
The Citizen visited two municipal swimming pools ahead of the spring rush to see the state of the facilities.
Mamelodi West pool conditions
Mamelodi West swimming pool was half full but clean. A volunteer said he was told that the municipality would refill the pool by tomorrow.
The property was well kept, with the grass green and short.
“It gets very busy here. The children love to swim here. During the week, we teach them to swim and over weekends it’s open to the public,” he said.
The volunteer said they needed chlorine and other chemicals for the pool. The baby pool had to be restored because it had a crack.
“We also need chemicals to get rid of the weeds and a fence to keep children out because they jump the wall to swim when the pool is closed.
Sunnyside pool ‘almost ready’
At Sunnyside municipal pool, workers said everything was almost ready for the reopening. The pools were full, the fountains were running and the garden was well kept.
But the water was off blue and they were also waiting for chlorine and chemicals to treat the water.
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Criticism of pool closures
DA Tshwane corporate and shared services spokesperson Dana Wannenburg said municipal swimming pools had been closed for seven months.
Wannenburg said the pools had been locked under the excuse of level 1 water restrictions from Rand Water, while burst pipes were left pouring water into streets for long periods without repair.
“The hypocrisy is staggering. This administration wastes water with breathtaking carelessness, but refuses to let our children swim,” he said.
Wannenburg said the city claims it had asked Rand Water for permission to reopen pools by 1 September.
“Even if approved, the season will be cut short. Athletes will lose valuable training time and the damage to competitive swimming will be severe,” he added.
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said it had not introduced any water restrictions, adding that some municipalities may have them in place.
City outlines water management measures
City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said a request was sent to Rand Water via the department of water and sanitation for confirmation that the city may reopen its swimming pools.
Mashigo said the city was also committed to managing the 19 million litres of water consumed by the 23 public pools responsibly.
“This includes weekly leak detection, new water metering to manage consumption and limited top-ups to no more than once a week,” he said.
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