The Southbury Parks and Recreation Department has announced that the Southbury Town Pool at Ballantine Park is currently scheduled to open the week of June 22nd. Both lap swimming and family open swim sessions will be available for interested patrons this summer.
Program registration is scheduled to begin Monday, June 8 for residents of the Regional 15 School District.
Aquatics Supervisors Lucy Suter and Maria Papiro are looking forward to another great season. "We are excited to be able to open the Southbury Town Pool this summer! We have reviewed information from the CDC, USA Swimming, and the American Red Cross to devise a plan to safely open the Southbury Town Pool with patron's health and safety our top priority. We anticipate many changes to how the 'greatest place on earth' will operate this summer, including social distancing, changes to programming, limits on the number of people allowed inside the facility, as well as enhanced protocols for cleaning; the STP team is ready for the challenge and will continue to make the Southbury Town Pool an enjoyable experience again this summer."
Patrons will need to purchase their pool memberships in advance; no passes will be available for purchase at the pool. Patrons will then need to preregister for their swim sessions in advance so that we can welcome as many members as possible while remaining within the gathering size protocol set by the State.
The CDC recognizes that swimming and other water-related activities are excellent ways to get the physical activity needed for a healthy life.
"In order to make patron visits to the Town Pool as safe as possible, the Parks and Recreation Department has invested in personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, thermometers and approved cleaning supplies to maintain the healthiest environment possible for patrons and our team", Michael Ganem, Parks & Recreation Director said. In addition, comprehensive safety protocols have been developed under the guidance of the CDC, USA Swimming, the American Red Cross, and the Pomperaug Health District to ensure maximum health and safety at the pool. These include:
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A daily swim schedule providing lap swimming and family open swim sessions throughout the day
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Limits on the number of patrons in each swim session
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Allocating 30-minutes for intensive cleaning and sanitization of the facility before and after each individual swim session
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Performing temperature checks on all staff and patrons before being allowed into the facility
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Proper and ongoing maintenance of all pool chemicals at required levels
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Requiring that all staff and patrons wash or sanitize hands before entering the facility
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Requiring that all staff and patrons wear a mask and shoes when not in the water
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Requiring that patrons maintain 6' social distance on deck and in the water
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Require that patrons NOT use the changing rooms; please wear swimsuits to and from the pool
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Require that patrons NOT come to the pool if they or any member(s) of their household do not feel well
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The removal of all chairs from the pool deck to minimize surfaces. Patrons are welcome to bring their own chairs
Registration will be available online at southbury.recdesk.com starting June 8, 2020.
To register in person, you can drop off the completed registration form with a check (payable to Southbury Parks and Recreation), using P&R dropbox, which is located to the right of the entrance to the Parks and Recreation building. You can download the form online.
Patrons may also register over the phone with a credit card from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday by calling 203-262-0633.
For additional information, please visit www.southbury-ct.org/pool.