Kalona pool preps to open Friday

The Kalona City Pool is set to open to the public Friday, though with fewer swimmers and more rules in place to promote social distancing.

The pool will limit its pool capacity to a little more than half the attendees the pool would see on a busy day, Washington County YMCA CEO Amy Schulte said. The day also will be split into two admissions shifts - one from 1-3:30 p.m. and the second from 4-6:30 p.m. Patrons will only be able to attend one of the shifts.

The Kalona City Pool is one of two outdoor pools in Washington County. The other - Washington Steele Family Aquatics Center opened for swim lessons and lap swimming earlier this month, and will open to regular patrons starting Friday as well after the Gov. Kim Reynolds said public places, including pools, could reopen.

But both Washington County pools will look different from a normal summer, Schulte said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there's no evidence that COVID-19 can spread through water in pools and hot tubs, and use of disinfectants such as chlorine or bromine should make the virus inactive. But the CDC does recommend pool attendees keep a six-foot distance and advises pool caretakers to rigorously disinfect frequently used parts of the pool - handrails, lounge chairs, etc.

To limit the number of people at the pool at one time, Kalona will limit its pool capacity to 60, and as previously reported, Washington pool will cap the number of attendees at 100. On a regular day, the Kalona pool could see up to 100 people and Washington up to 225 attendees, Schulte said.

Concessions stands at both locations will be closed, chairs kept six feet apart, and no large groups such as child care centers, summer camps, or family events will be admitted until at least the end of June.

The YMCA operates both pools - purchases cleaning supplies, hires employees, and cleans - while the city owns and maintains the buildings and mechanical systems.

As other Eastern Iowa cities like Iowa City and Cedar Rapids announce some pools in their jurisdictions won't be open for the summer, Schulte said city administrators in both Washington and Kalona wanted residents to have priority admission to the pools of their respective cities - especially since city property taxes go toward keeping up city amenities, like the pool.

To do that, the pools will admit city residents within the first half-hour and then after that will admit people from outside of the city limits.

Pool staff, too, have undergone more training than usual to prepare for opening this summer, Schulte said. The YMCA hired a handful of extra staffers at each location to keep up with more frequent cleaning, answer phone calls and patron questions, and keep an eye on social-distancing practices so lifeguards don't have to while on duty. Traditional lifeguard whistles were replaced with electronic ones to avoid lifeguards needing to put the device in their mouths. She said several high school and college students returned to work for the pool after COVID-19 prevention measures nixed internships and other summer plans.

Reynolds allowed Iowa swimming pools to open to the public beyond swim lessons and lap swimming beginning June 12. Schulte said the Washington County outdoor pools - which normally open after the school year ends in May - didn't open right away because the date fell in the middle of scheduled sessions of swim lessons. At the time, she said YMCA and city leaders weren't sure the pool would open for the season, but providing a way for kids to learn water safety and have an outdoor outlet for the summer was always the goal.

'My plea with the community is to have some grace with us,” Schulte said. 'We've worked with the city and the public health department to come up with this plan. We know it's going to be different and not going to be easy. We know people are going to be disappointed if they come and we're at capacity. We don't relish the idea of turning people away, but it's for their safety.”

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