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Drought won't stop Cannonballs and High Dives: Local Pools Set to Reopen

by Andre Gallant
02.27.2008

Ongoing drought restrictions won't stop public swimming pools from reopening Memorial Day weekend, according to a story published in the Athens Banner-Herald last week.

The Department of Leisure Services will open all public pools as planned as long as local officials agree to easing last fall's total outdoor water use ban, as allowed by recent decisions by Governor Sonny Perdue and Georgia's Environmental Protection Division.

ACC is currently assessing water use and drought indicators and will soon decide what concessions, if any, it will make, Water Conservation Coordinator Steve Dorsch said in an e-mail. 

The county's decision will also determine the fate of private pools. 

Public pools are located at Bishop Park, Lay Park, Memorial Park, Rocksprings Park, and the East Athens Community Center.

Admission to the pools is $1 for all residents and students K-12 can bring in their report cards and receive free passes for good grades, according the department's Web site.

Governor Sonny Perdue decided earlier this month to relax water restrictions concerning swimming pools, both public and private, in the 61-county Level 4 drought area which includes Athens-Clarke County. 

Perdue cited public safety concerns such as stagnant water, cracking pool foundations and the possibility of falling into an empty pool as reasons for easing the restrictions.

And, Perdue said, the 7 million gallons of water per day used by the 98,500 public and private pools in the drought stricken area will only have a "modest impact on water supply."

"Citizens should not see this as a signal the drought is over," Perdue said. "The drought remains persistent and water conservation is our top priority." 

ABH also reported last week that Oconee County has already lifted its ban on filling swimming pools.

Dorsch anticipates that water use concessions will differ by county, depending on their specific water needs. 

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