Summer in D.C. will look a bit more normal this year, with the city’s public outdoor swimming pools and splash parks set to reopen on Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the season.
The pools and splash parks will reopen Saturday, May 29 for the first time since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic shut down operations last summer. The pools will operate at 50% capacity, while the splash parks will reopen fully.
“We’re not just the agency where fun happens, but where fun happens safely,” said D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Director Delano Hunter, WRC-TV (Channel 4) reported. “And I don’t you about you, but I am really excited to open pools this summer.”
Social distancing will be required at the outdoor pools, with deck chairs spaced six feet apart. Hunter said those pools will be open on a first-come, first-served basis and indoor pools will remain open for reservations only for lap lanes.
He said with the reopening of pools and splash parks, more than 700 seasonal employees will need to be hired, including lifeguards and camp counselors.
District officials said apartments, condos and hotels will be able to open their pools at 50% capacity, but hotel pools will be restricted to guests only, WRC reported.