Cape Town – The Trafalgar swimming pool has been opened to the public following upgrades of about R3.1 million.
The opening brings the number of facilities open to the public to 30, as the pools in Bellville, Elsies River, Newlands, Parow Valley and Ravensmead are still not operational due to renovations.
The work at the Trafalgar facility included switching the main pool from a scum channel flow to a rim flow, removing and replacing of all the circulation pipes and upgrading the filtration plant.
The pool can accommodate 750 patrons and will be open daily between 10am and 5pm until the end of the Easter weekend.
Three lifeguards will be posted at the facility. “We had large numbers of visitors to our swimming pools over the festive season and while anti-social behaviour remains a challenge in some areas, we are pleased that not a single fatal drowning incident was reported at our pools.
“We commend the public for their role in making this happen, but also our lifeguards and facility officers. They work under very trying circumstances, and we encourage them to remain focused for the rest of the summer season,” community services mayco member Zahid Badroodien said.
There were 13 incidents recorded at the City pools over the festive season: two non-fatal drownings, three help-outs/rescues, and eight first-aid cases.
Sixty percent of the incidents happened at the Strand swimming pool, with a number of cases on busy days such as January 1 and 4, and 69% involved children under the age of 18.