Donner Aquatics Center hopes to open later this month after being closed for the 2020 season due to the pandemic.
Public swimming sessions at the facility at 739 22nd St. are scheduled to begin Thursday, May 27, the first day of summer vacation for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students, Aquatics Center Director James Lemke said.
Open swimming will be weekdays, from 1 until 6 p.m, while weekend and holiday hours will be noon to 6 p.m., Lemke said.
With COVID-19 still a threat, a number of precautions are being taken. For example, a maximum of 250 people, including staff and clients, will be allowed in the pool area at any given time, Associate Director of Recreation Nikki Murphy said.
There are concerns that there could be opportunities for COVID-19 to spread directly between patrons in the pool deck area, pool enclosure, and sanitary facilities. For that reason, following Indiana State Board of Health guidelines, patrons will be asked to observe social distancing and encouraged to keep a mask on when socializing while out of the water.
Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for children 6-17, and $3 for kids 3-5 years old, according to the center’s website. Infants and toddlers age 2 and under are admitted free.
Although many attractions lost substantial money by being closed last year, the Donner Aquatics Center was not one of them, Murphy said. Income derived from admission prices does not cover the costly expenses involved in operating the facility, so the Columbus Department of Parks and Recreation actually saved some money by not opening the aquatics center last year, she said.
This year, a decision was made not to sell season passes this summer following an extensive amount of researching and bench-marking of other facilities, Murphy said.
“Because we have to limit our capacity, there’s no way to guarantee season pass holders would be able to be admitted with enough frequency to be worth the value of their pass,” Murphy said. “So we are handling the pool on a first-come, first-serve basis for public swim.”
For decades, the swimming facilities at Donner Park have been extremely popular, with an average annual attendance of slightly more than 31,800 prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, city parks department records show.
Lemke said he’s been asked by several local residents if he’s 100% sure that the aquatics center will open. Instead of providing a definite response, the center manager would only say his staff is busy getting the pool ready to open. But he did acknowledge the environment won’t be as carefree as it was during pre-COVID days.
“I think everybody has figured out that ‘normal’ today isn’t what ‘normal’ used to be,” Lemke said. “We’re going to follow recommendations by the local government, so if they are restricting capacity, we will follow those guidelines.”
While some local residents were angry last May when the aquatics center announced they would not open, Lemke said there were others who said they felt parks officials had made the right decision.
“I always err on the side of safety, and I feel we did what was safe for our community and staff,” he said. “And by not opening, I knew we were not contributing to the spread of the virus.”
A year ago, there was additional pressure to keep the swimming facility closed after several city and county government buildings closed their doors to the public, he said. City and county units of local government didn’t reopen their buildings until the first week of this month.
With the current vaccination rate, the state has relaxed many of the rules that were in place all last year.
The state health department says there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through pool water within properly-maintained aquatic venues, because the disinfectant (chlorine or bromine) kills the virus when water chemistry and circulation are adequate.
“But you still have to be conscious about being within 6 feet of another person,” Murphy said. “Obviously, the chlorine isn’t going to kill the germs spread through respiration.”
However, those chemicals should kill viruses on surface materials frequently touched by those in the pool, she said.
Furnishings within the deck area and pool enclosure will need to be separated by 6 feet or more to promote social distancing, state health officials say. In addition, frequently touched surfaces away from the chlorine will need to be disinfected often because surfaces allow for the transfer of infected respiratory droplets.
Swimmers are reminded that whenever they are out of the water, face coverings remain the most effective means of preventing the spread of the virus. This is especially true within indoor facilities such as restrooms and dressing rooms.
Nobody knows how many families will feel secure enough to patronize the aquatics center immediately after it opens, Lemke said. The center director said he anticipates a mixed reaction.
“I’m sure there will be some people who will be timid and cautious about coming out,” he said. “But then, there will be others that will be here every day.”
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1917 – William Donner, a Columbus native who made his fortune in the steel industry, donates green space for a public park.
1947 – Donner Center opens as a recreational and community center.
1948 – Donner Pool, which is adjacent to Donner Center, opens for the first time on Independence Day.
1986 – $1.375 million spent on expansion and remodeling. Water slides are installed.
1998 – $1.5 million spent on upgrades such as a refurbished main pool and a leisure pool. The name of the facility is changed to Donner Aquatics Center.
2011 – A new water slide is installed, but does not open until the swimming season is nearly completed.
2014 – $300,000 is spent to replace the main pool filters and construct a building to house the filter system.
2020 – Donner Aquatics Center remains closed for the summer, due to COVID-19 pandemic.
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Donner Aquatics Center
739 22nd St., Columbus
Public Swimming sessions (May 27 – Aug. 5)
- Monday – Friday: 1 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: Noon – 6 p.m.
- Closed June 5-7 for Jaime Miller Swim Meet
Admission
- Adults 18 and over: $6
- Children 6-17: $5
- Child 3-5: $3
- Infants and toddlers age 2 and under are admitted free
- Season passes will not be issued this year
Free Swim: Monday – Sunday: 5 to 6 p.m.
Preschool swim time for parent and child (6 and under) at the leisure pool: Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. Fee is $1 per person
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