A Massachusetts pool was forced to close in the middle of summer after a glass sauce jar broke, sending small shards of glass into the water.
Although larger pieces of glass could be easily fished out, smaller ones were impossible to find and posed a risk to swimmers.
This meant that the entire pool had to be drained and refilled, at a cost of $20,000.
On July 14, a pool visitor dropped the glass jar which crashed onto the deck in the corner of the pool, sending broken pieces of glass into the pool.
The Needham Parks and Recreation Department explained in a Facebook post how Rosemary Pool had to be closed along with photos of the lengthy cleanup process.
A Massachusetts swimming pool was forced to close in the middle of summer after a glass sauce jar broke, sending small glass shards into the water. The pool had to be emptied.
The 220,000 gallons of pool water had to be emptied into the city’s sewer system.
The 220,000 gallons of pool water had to be emptied into the city sewer system and replaced with water from the city supply.
“The problem is that when it breaks, it breaks glass shards, and the glass shards are what we’re concerned about,” said Stacey Mulroy, director of Parks and Recreation. The Needham Observer.
“They can float into the eye, mouth or lungs of a person who swallows glass fragments. That’s a more worrisome situation, which is why we have this very specific procedure in place.”
Pool officials reminded bathers that glass of any kind is prohibited in the pool and noted that the entire incident was “avoidable and unfortunate.”
Workers were on site for several days cleaning, emptying and refilling the pool.
A pool-goer dropped the glass jar that crashed onto the deck in the corner of the pool on July 14, sending broken glass into the pool.
The entire pool had to be drained and refilled at a cost of $20,000.
The person responsible for the broken bottle will not be responsible for any of the cleanup costs.
“We understand this closure may be frustrating for many, as it is for us,” Needham Park & Recreation said in a statement.
“We will work as quickly as we can, always keeping safety in mind.”
Massachusetts state senator Becca Rausch wrote on Facebook how the broken glass caused the pool to need to be drained, cleaned, refilled, the chemicals rebalanced and retested for bacteria.
“The entire community is suffering the loss of our pool and our money, all because one person decided to bring a jar of sauce into the pool,” Rausch said.
‘Don’t bring glass into the pool. It’s not difficult to follow this and other rules. They exist for our collective enjoyment and for personal health and safety.’
While the lap pool was closed, the family pool was still able to remain open throughout.
Parks and Recreation Director Stacey Mulroy says there will be no repercussions for the person who broke the glass jar.
The Department of Parks and Recreation released a statement explaining what happened.
There will be no repercussions for the person who dropped the glass jar.
“Overall, it was an accident. This person had no intention of doing this,” Mulroy said.
“It was an avoidable accident, no doubt. But we’re not seeking revenge for anything other than vandalism. Please remind people that we don’t allow glass in the pool,” he said.