Two southeast Iowa pools are reminding swimmers to check their goggles following an incident at a Webster City pool that forced it to close indefinitely after glass goggles shattered in the water.
The Webster City Outdoor Pool was forced to close on July 8th after broken glass goggles contaminated the pool, requiring crews to completely drain, clean, and refill the facility before it could reopen, according to a social media post from Webster City Parks and Recreation. The department said it had no timeline for reopening, noting that swimmer safety is the top priority. Once the pool is drained and the shell thoroughly swept and cleaned to remove all glass particles, it will be refilled and chemically balanced before reopening. All glass goggles and bottles are strictly prohibited from the Webster City outdoor pool. The incident served as a cautionary example for pools across the state.
In response, the City of Keota’s Jacquelyn J. Singmaster Murphy Aquatic Center issued a safety reminder urging swimmers to check their goggles to ensure they do not have tempered glass lenses. The facility noted it has heard of at least two pools that have had to completely drain, clean, refill, and rebalance their water after tempered glass goggle lenses shattered — a process described as extremely costly that can result in a pool closure lasting one to two weeks or longer during the swim season. The Keota pool also reminded patrons that glass bottles, glass containers, watches, and cell phones are not permitted on the pool deck.
The Bloomfield City Pool similarly reminded swimmers that glass and tempered glass diving masks have never been permitted at their facility, explaining why the rule exists. “If a glass mask breaks in the pool, it’s not as simple as picking up a few pieces,” the pool noted in a social media post. “Tiny glass fragments can spread throughout the water, creating a serious hazard for swimmers.” The post explained that health code requires a pool to be closed and in many cases completely drained when glass breaks in the water so that every fragment can be removed, posing risks of cuts and eye or inhalation injuries to swimmers.
Both pools asked that patrons check their goggles and diving masks before arriving to ensure the lenses are made of plastic or polycarbonate rather than tempered or regular glass.
