WOODFORD CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — Public and private pools across the state can reopen under new health and safety guidelines. While the popular summer activity will look different this year, officials with Versailles-Woodford County Parks and Recreation say they still expect families to have a fun time.
Under state guidelines, pools can only have a certain number of people in at a time. To determine the maximum capacity, take the water surface area of the pool and divide by 36 square feet.
At Falling Springs Center in Versailles, only 100 people will be allowed in the outdoor pool at a time. Parks and Recreation Executive Director Richard Pictor says they could allow more people, but they felt this was the best amount to keep everyone as safe as possible.
In order to swim, families have to reserve tickets online for two-hour swim blocks.
“We’ll blow a whistle at the end of that two hours and everyone will clear the deck,” said Pictor. “We’ll have 30 minutes in between where we can sanitize every chair, every bit of the pool area, the bathroom facilities, and then we’ll allow the next group in.”
Chairs are spaced out on the pool deck to promote social distancing and while the indoor pool will be open for lane reservations, the diving boards won’t be use and people won’t be able to go back and forth between the indoor and outdoor pools.
“This year, the outdoors is only for the outdoors,” said Pictor. “You cannot access the indoor facilities. There are no locker room facilities and no indoor swimming.”
While public pools can reopen now, some will remain closed. For example, Lexington city pools, and Paradise Cove Aquatic Center in Richmond won’t reopen this summer. It’s best to check in with your local parks and recreation department to learn more about their plans.
