City-owned pools won’t open until water supply improves
City of Bartlesville-owned swimming pools will not open this summer unless water supply reaches 70 percent in time to adequately staff the facilities and apply the chemicals required to open them, City Manager Mike Bailey announced this week.
Sooner and Frontier pools, which are owned by the City but operated by the Richard Kane YMCA, normally open around Memorial Day weekend. However, due to ongoing drought conditions and a steady decline in available water supply since December 2022, the pools will not open unless the situation improves at least to the point that citizens are no longer subject to restrictions, Bailey said.
“This means our available water supply needs to reach 70 percent or above for the pools to open, and then we will open one or both pools only if there is a reasonable period of time left in the season for the YMCA to staff the facilities and apply the required chemicals in time for opening, which is approximately a two-week turnaround,” he said.
Due to severe drought conditions and declining available water supply, Bartlesville water customers have been subject to outdoor water use restrictions and emergency water rates since the City Council approved modifications to the City’s Water Shortage Ordinance in April.
The ordinance requires the closure of City-owned pools if water supply falls below 50 percent but contains no provisions on how to proceed if supply is hovering around the 50 percent threshold before the pools are opened.
“Our water shortage plan calls for the closure of the pools if we drop below 50 percent, but it is silent on what to do if the pools are not open at earlier stages,” Bailey said. “This has required us to develop guidance between City staff and the YMCA to determine how best to proceed, and these guidelines were developed as a result of those discussions.”
Bailey said he understands the decision will be met with criticism by some.
“We know this decision will not be popular with everyone,” he said. “Our pools provide space for recreation, exercise and socialization in our community, and they are an important piece of our park system and the services we provide for our citizens.
“However, we believe strongly that preserving our available water supply for as long as possible in preparation of continuing drought conditions must be our highest priority at this time. Hopefully, we will receive enough rain in the coming weeks that we can open the pools for everyone to enjoy.”
Full refunds will be made by the YMCA to anyone whose reservation is canceled due to the pools being closed. For more information, contact the YMCA at 918.336.0713.