City of Arlington says pools, splash pads are safe

Arlington - As a clear signal of the summer season, aquatics centers, splash pads, and swimming pools across North Texas are enthusiastically welcoming the public for the Memorial Day weekend.

Arlington city authorities are making concerted efforts to assure parents about the water quality, an initiative fueled by a tragic incident nearly two years ago that involved the death of a child from an unusual infection.

Venera Flores-Stafford, assistant director of Arlington Parks & Recreation, voiced her commitment to this cause, stating, "I have a child and so for me, it's a matter of wanting to go out there and let her have fun without worry,” as per Dallas Metro News.

Taking stringent measures for the second consecutive summer, the city is adhering to the Bakari Williams Protocol, instituted in memory of a 3-year-old boy who succumbed to a rare brain-eating amoeba after his visit to a city splash pad back in September 2021.

The city authorities conceded that the unfortunate incident was likely a result of insufficient supervision and inconsistent water quality checks, which caused a critical drop in chlorination levels, falling beneath the mandatory minimum.

Recognizing its shortcomings, the city swiftly rectified its errors, amicably settled a lawsuit with the victim's family, and vowed to improve its standards. The city embarked on this mission by investing in state-of-the-art splash pad equipment and implementing rigorous safety and water testing protocols.

With an expenditure of nearly $650,000, the city enhanced the overall infrastructure, conducted staff training, and introduced upgrades, all of which were initiated in line with the new protocol last summer.

"We changed all of our standard operating procedures and are teaching everyone the importance of timely chemical testing,” said Flores-Stafford.

In anticipation of the impending summer, city staff have been meticulously revisiting the newly implemented protocol and actively encouraging parents to utilize the QR codes displayed at each aquatic facility in Arlington. A simple scan of these codes using a smartphone camera provides direct access to the city’s water quality dashboard, offering detailed insights into the real-time water conditions.

Additionally, guidance on how to interpret these water quality readings is readily available.

“To me, it's just about the consistency. It’s about understanding the levels that are maintained and having the peace of mind of going there and seeing it,” said Flores-Stafford. “And knowing that if it is not at that level that it will automatically shut off. They don’t have to worry about that."

The city is also emphasizing that water quality checks are conducted thrice daily, as opposed to a single check per day, to ensure that large crowds or potential equipment failures have not instigated an abrupt decline in chlorine levels.

"We're trying to ensure that they don't have to have that worry and that QR code gives them that peace of mind,” said Flores-Stafford.

Chlorine levels in Arlington are deliberately maintained above the state's minimum requirement. However, it's noteworthy that not all cities in North Texas adhere to these enhanced protocols. Click here for further details.

Regardless of whether families are indulging in swimming, relaxing by the lake, or enjoying at a splash pad, the priority of safety should be at the forefront of everyone's mind this summer.

"Be safe, watch your child. Don't expect your child that the lifeguards are going to do it. Because all eyes are important,” said Venera Flores-Stafford.