Swimmers left high and dry

The Benoni Northerns Swimming Pool closure affects not only those who use it for leisure, but also professional trainers who rely on it daily.

The chairperson and coach of the Swift Aquatics Club, Glenn Keevy, said the Benoni Northerns Swimming Pool is used as the club’s resident swimming pool to train.

“We trained the children every afternoon at the pool,” said the chairperson and coach of the Swift Aquatics Club, Glenn Keevy.

“However, we had to stop about three weeks prior to the pool closing because the water was burning the children’s skin.”

Keevy said he trains children between the ages of 10 and 18 and the club prepares them to compete in challenges.

The Benoni Northerns Swimming Pool was declared closed on February 8 after Ward 27 Clr Jacques Meiring said the water was too acidic to swim in.

“The pH level for safe swimming is six,” Meiring said on February 8.

“However, the water is at a pH level of 2.44.”

Keevy added that the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) permitted the club to use the Boksburg North Indoor Swimming Pool; however, several parents found it difficult to travel the distance to drop their children off for training.

“We also trained at Splash H2O during the time we trained in Boksburg,” Keevy said.

“But, on Tuesday (February 14), Rynfield Primary School decided to let us train at their pool.”

According to Keevy, the pool water becoming acidic and closing took a toll on the club.

“Everything became unsettled because the set programmes needed to be altered,” Keevy said.

“And we were used to using the pool.”