Safety Codes: State Closes Four Local Pools for Not Complying

Summer may have ended, but that doesn't mean Illinois officials are overlooking swimming pools. The state has closed four licensed pools in , including the ones at  and all other .

All swimming facilities were given an Oct. 1 deadline to comply with federal drain cover regulations, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health. About 85 percent had done so as of Sept. 30, but 500 municipal, park district, school and hotel facilities were still not up to code on Monday.

Among them were Brementowne Estates, 7701 W. 159th St.; Brementowne Villas, 16410 Brementowne Drive; Tinley Park High School, 6111 W. 175th St.; and , 7225 W. 183rd St., according to the IDPH.

The federal requirements come form the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act—a 2007 law named after the 7-year-old girl who drowned nine years ago when a hot tub suctioned her to its bottom. All pools are now required to install more than just drain covers, such as devices that can stop motors when an entrapment sensor's activated.

The IDPH indicates that the four Tinley swimming pools join a list of non-compliant facilities which includes 145 pools in Chicago and 186 in suburban Cook County.

An e-mail sent from representatives late Monday canceled all team practices until further notice.

"We hope to have more information in the next day or so as to when we can get back into the pool and resume our regular scheduled practices," the e-mail states. "We are sorry for the inconvenience, we believe this to be a minor set back and hope to have a resolution very soon."

Updates on the other three facilities were not immediately available early Tuesday. Be sure to check back with Tinley Park Patch for updates.

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