Within a week, reports of accidental fecal release shut down the islands’ two public pools. But the head of the Department of Parks and Recreation assures the public that ‘the defecation incidents were accidental.’
The closures occurred just days apart. First, Agaña Pool halted its operations on Thursday due to “accidental fecal release.” This was followed by the closure of the Dededo Pool on Saturday, also for the same reason.
It was necessary to close the pools for two days to allow contractors to properly disinfect and sanitize the pools, according to Richard Ybanez, DPR director. Ybanez, who was interviewed by Patti Arroyo on Newstalk K57, also said the department is working on long-term solutions to deter patrons from defecating in the pools.
“The one in Agaña, it happened early morning and I don’t think it was intentional. I just got a phone call from one of our lifeguards saying one of the patrons had an accident and I said close it down right away. Of course, we called our contractor who is in charge of the pool to ensure that we chlorinate it, filtrate it, to ensure that there is no bacteria and it is safe for the public to swim in,” Ybanez said.
He added: “This whole week I got phone calls. I don’t think that it is intentional. Accidents do happen. If it is intentional, our lifeguards will catch it.”
The Agaña pool reopened on Sunday, while the Dededo Pool will resume regular pool on Tuesday.
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