ELKHORN — Families in Elkhorn looking for relief from the summer heat will have to find alternatives as the city's Sunset Pool has been temporarily closed after glass was discovered in the swimming area.
The city's recreation director confirmed that the glass came from a shattered pair of swimming goggles found by a patron on Saturday. Following CDC guidelines and to ensure safety for all swimmers, the pool must now be fully drained and vacuumed before reopening.
"Just seeing it closed, that they're losing out on all that revenue for the summer as an Elkhorn resident, I think it just really stinks for everyone," Shea Malone said.
Malone and her son Weston would have liked to have visited the pool after baseball photos, especially during the current heat wave.
"It would have been a really good pool day," Malone said.
When asked where he would have gone first at the pool, Weston knew exactly: "Probably the slide that drops... the yellow one."
The closure affects not only casual swimmers but also scheduled programming like swim lessons, which will be suspended for at least the next 7 to 10 days.
"This closure is especially difficult during extreme heat. Sunset Pool serves as a key gathering space for the community, and the Recreation Department has had to cancel several programs tied to the pool beyond just open swim hours. City staff are currently reviewing all cancelled programs and determining potential reschedule options," said Recreation Director Karl Sorvick in an email.
According to Sorvick, staff successfully reduced chlorine levels and received water quality tests results confirming it is safe to drain the pool. Sorvick said they plan to have the pool emptied fully by Tuesday afternoon. After that, staff will begin vacuuming and washing down the entire pool area.
Dustin Radloff, another parent who enjoys taking his children to the park and pool, expressed his disappointment.
"A day like today. What better place to be than at a pool?" Radloff said. "Not having it open within the community is a bummer. There's always a Plan B. We might have to find another community pool."
Some residents are resorting to simpler cooling methods during the closure.
"Sprinkler, 90's summer," Malone said with a laugh when asked about alternatives to stay cool.
"Elkhorn is a short drive from several nearby beaches and public pools located within 30 minutes. We encourage families to take advantage of those options and look forward to welcoming everyone back to Sunset Pool as soon as it is safe to do so," said Sorvick in an email.
Updates on the pool's reopening will be provided on the City of Elkhorn's social media pages like Sunset Pool.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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