36-hour closure at main pool
‘Floater’was found
The main swimming pool at Hamilton Water Palace was forced to close for 36 hours this week.
Leisure chiefs were forced into action due to an ‘accidental faecal release’.
The ‘floater’ was found in the water on Sunday afternoon.
A spokesperson for SLLC (South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture), said: “Hamilton Water Palace main pool had to close from Sunday afternoon due to a faecal contamination and will reopen on Tuesday morning.
“When this happens we have to close the pool immediately and carry out a strict cleaning regime to ensure any harmful bacteria is removed. This is carried out in line with Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group guidelines.
“The timescale for this can vary based on volume of pool water, turnover and chemical treatment. For the 25-metre pool at Hamilton Water Palace this takes 36 hours.
“We apologise inconvenience for the to our customers but public health is our priority.”
Hamilton Water Palace is not the first facility in South Lanarkshire to be closed because of ‘floaters’. Just last week, Carluke Leisure Centre was closed for a second time in a month due to an AFR incident.
Leisure chiefs say pool users can help reduce closures by: Avoiding swimming if you feel unwell; if children are not fully toilet trained, make sure that they are wearing a well-fitted swim nappy; encourage young swimmers to use the toilets before they go into the pool; use the showers before you enter the pool; and if you start to feel unwell, stop and leave the water.