County swimming pools in Prince William to reopen, short on lifeguards

Just days before the unofficial start to summer, Prince William County announced it will open its government-run swimming pools this year after shuttering them last year due to the pandemic.

The county plans to reopen both of its waterparks, and at least four of its outdoor pools, located in the eastern section of the county.

The reopening comes as the county faces a shortage of 50 lifeguards.

Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin reports:

— We plan to open Waterworks on Saturday, May 29 for Memorial Day weekend, followed by weekends only until mid-June when school lets out.

–We plan to open Graham Park Pool and Birchdale Pool on Saturday, June 5, followed by weekends only until mid-June when school lets out.

–We plan to open SplashDown and Veterans Park Pool on Saturday, June 12, assuming lifeguard availability. SplashDown will open for swim team practice only beginning Saturday, June 7th.

—Hammill Mill pool is undergoing structural repairs and will not open until mid-July, at the earliest. There is a possibility it will not open. Veteran’s Park pool will cover the gap in service for that area of the county.

— All facilities will be open from 12 pm-6 pm.

–The reduced hours of operations will allow us to open more sites for the summer, but the minimum number of staff means extra activities like after-hours rentals and typical swim team schedules cannot be accommodated.

— We will be accommodating swim teams for practices and competitions on a modified basis.
All appropriate COVID mitigation measures for employee and visitors will be established, as applicable, in accordance to the most current state and local regulations as well as CXO policies.

–All summer staff (currently eligible for the vaccine) are encouraged to schedule their vaccine appointments during onboarding.

— Lifeguards will have additional COVID-19 personal protective equipment such as viral filters for CPR masks, which were not available last summer.

Franklin says lifeguards are paid between $11 and $24 an hour. Each received paid training, said Franklin.

Several other neighboring jurisdictions, including Stafford County, and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park are also reopening their government-managed swimming pools this weekend.