The Chronicle‘s Leigh Hopper reports that Houston’s pools appear to be suffering from aging and a lack of supervisory oversight:
With record numbers of child drownings this summer in unsupervised swimming spots, 35 free, city-operated public pools — all staffed by lifeguards — offer a safe alternative. Yet, many Houston families seeking relief from summer heat stay away from the aging system, turned off by sometimes erratic hours and obsolete facilities. Of the city’s 41 pools, six currently are closed, nearly all the deep ends are off limits and six baby pools surveyed by the Houston Chronicle were closed.
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But since the 1980s, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s aquatics division has faced periodic budget cuts and been forced to trim hours. Today, the $2.2 million pool program appears to be struggling. Many facilities, some nearly 60 years old, need makeovers. The city’s move away from competitive swimming has left once-popular spots little used.
Despite the tired appearance of some pools, officials insist the city is not phasing out the system. Doug Earle, the department’s new deputy director, said there are plans this fall to replace four pools with more family-friendly pools, which will feature a “zero-depth” or beach-like entry for children and a lane for lap swimmers, at a cost of about $1 million per pool. Some pools, such as Memorial, T.C. Jester, Sunnyside, Lincoln City and Reveille, continue to have enthusiastic users.
In addition, the city is building water playgrounds in a number of locations. The water playgrounds, which squirt, spray and shower down water, are safer, fun for nonswimmers, cheaper than pools and easier to maintain, officials said.
Frankly, I’d rather see the city spend money on water playgrounds and pool renovation, instead of government-sponsored art and day-labor sites.
