Several LA city, county pools closed during hottest heat wave of the summer
LOS ANGELES - Not all pools are open in Los Angeles and LA County, despite the hottest heat wave of the summer.
LA City Parks and Recreation officials confirmed that while 28 city pools remain open during this heat wave, 18 of them, including several in the San Fernando Valley — where temperatures have been well over 100 degrees for days — have closed for the fall.
Septmeber is when many children return to school, and keeping all pools open with extended summer hours is unfeasible, they say, especially when many of their lifeguards return to college or other commitments in the fall.
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LA County recently announced that while some of their pools also close in mid-August, many of their facilities would remain open through October 31 this season because of the warm weather. They got ready by hiring 356 new pool lifeguards and rehiring another 224 in preparation.
"We have a total of 29 facilities open during the summer" said San Fernando Regional Pool Manager Wendy Centeno, but six of them, including hers, have gone to the fall schedule. That means that the popular Everyone Swims Program is now available only during the weekend. Lap swimming and other classes will continue, though, but you need to sign up for those.
Twenty-six LA County pools do have extended summer hours through October 26.
So, if you see a pool you usually use closed, there is probably one nearby with some hours still available.
For information on pools in the city of Los Angeles, go to laparks.org/aquatics.
For information on pools across LA County, visit parks.lacounty.gov/aquatics.