Warming temperatures and pandemic create problems for local pools

Temperatures have begun to swelter as the summer months draw near. As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a major issue throughout the county and state, county orders remain in place to prohibit public pool use.

"It went from a bustling busy time of year when we’re almost into spring break, which is a huge time for us, to turning into a ghost town with less and less people out and about," Palm Desert Aquatics Manager David Keys said.

Since the center closed its doors in mid-March, the center has taken steps to conserve pools and equipment. Crews have placed plastic covers over the waters surface while it remains out of use.

“We’re stopping evaporation so we’re just trying to save money with that. Usually yes, the pools are not covered at this time of year because you have people in the water at them at all time," Keys said.

Keys said pools have their own control panels in order to upkeep maintenance. A member of staff monitors it daily. If there were to be an issue, that person will be notified via phone or through a laptop.

"With swim clubs, swim lessons that we would have had in the afternoons with Xavier High School, morning and mid-day with all the lap swimmers this time of year brings with the festivals-- so we’re looking at 300 [people] a day and then on the weekends is when we would have had our slides, diving boards, splash playground open and you’re looking at 500 people a day on those Saturdays and Sundays," Keys said.

The facility offers a variety of exercise activities.

"It basically kills our businesses. The Piranha Swim Team-- we operate in groups of 8-20 at any given time," Piranha Swim Team head coach, Jeff Conwell said.

The Palm Springs- based swim team has also used the Palm Desert Aquatics Center pools. Teams vary in age. The club's elite faction has sent two swimmers to the Olympics in the past.

The club has been on hold just as long as public pools were barred.

"It’s tough. It’s all I’ve done, that’s all we do us coaches. My day has gone from planning workouts and figuring out what we’re going to do next to figuring out the financial side," Conwell said.

Public and community pools have been closed in accordance with Riverside County's restrictions through the pandemic. Riverside County officials said Wednesday that reopening pools has not been considered and that it's more difficult to social distance at a pool compared to a golf course. They did say, however, that rules could change in the future.

The aquatic center has used the time during the closure to make repairs and improvements.

"It's given us an opportunity to have a lot of maintenance and upgrades go on during this time that most likely wouldn’t have been able to happen at this time of year-- that would have been pushed a year out or even into the fall. We’ve taken that time and tried to spend it really wisely with installing a new splash wheel that operates, redoing our multi-use room, bringing in more tables for the facility so when people are able to come back we will be prepared for them and have a better experience than they did in the past," Keys said.