Bremen District 228 Swimming Pools Closed Indefinitely

administrators were scrambling for a place where swimmers could train Tuesday, Oct. 4, after the Illinois Department of Public Health notified them the pools were in violation of state drain cover regulations.

Administrators received notice Monday, Oct. 3, that as of Oct. 1 the district's pools were shut down—all including , , Bremen High School and Hillcrest High School. 

All swimming facilities were given an Oct. 1 deadline to comply with federal drain cover regulations, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health. About 85 percent had done so as of Sept. 30, but 500 municipal, park district, school and hotel facilities were still not up to code on Monday.

District 228 Superintendent Dr. Bill Kendall said the district began the permit application process to complete the drain work, which includes installation of devices that can stop motors when an entrapment sensor is activated, in August 2010. On Aug. 24, 2011, D228 received final permits from the state.

It was unable to move forward with the work before receiving the permits, Kendall said.

"We were in permit limbo," he said.

The federal requirements come from the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act—a 2007 law named after the 7-year-old girl who drowned nine years ago when a hot tub suctioned her to its bottom.

Prior to the final letter Oct. 3, the district received two warning letters, notifying administrators that if the pools were not in compliance or the district was not working with the state to fulfill the requirements, the pools were in danger of shutdown.

Kendall said the district believed that with the permit application in progress, the district indicated its cooperation with the state. The next correspondence notified the district of the pool closures.

The four pools join a list of non-compliant facilities which includes 145 pools in Chicago and 186 in suburban Cook County.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the district was working with local health clubs, neighboring school districts—"anybody that can take our students to swim."

The district had assigned funding for the updates. Kendall will present the plans to the school board at an emergency school board meeting Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. With the board's approval, the work can begin.

"We're going to work as hard as we can to get these pools open," Kendall said.