Sunday December 21, 2008
New federal law closes KSD pool
By TODD KLEFFMAN
tkleffman@amnews.com
A new federal regulation meant to prevent drownings caused by swimming pool drains has pulled the plug on aquatic activities at Kentucky School for the Deaf.
Bill Melton, KSD director of operations, said the school pool was closed Friday until further notice. The school could not find approved covers large enough to fit over the pool's two 24-inch drains, as is required by the law.
"What we were told is that we need to shut down today because we are no longer in compliance," Melton said Friday.
The pool closure not only means that KSD students will have to do without swimming until the situation is resolved, but it could also sink the season for the Danville and Boyle County swim teams, both of which use the pool for training and hosting meets.
Danville swim coach Marc Williams could not be reached for comment, but told members of his team in an e-mail Thursday, "We are OK for Thursday and Friday practices. Beyond that, I don't know. I'll keep you posted."
The new law, which became effective Saturday, is called the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. It is named after the grandson of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, who died in a spa at age 7 when he was pulled to the bottom by a suction drain. Another child died in similar circumstances at a Lexington pool this summer.
The KSD pool is unique among the three large indoor pools in Danville because of the size of its drains. No one is yet manufacturing approved covers large enough to fit over them, Melton said.
"You can't just go down to the machine shop and have them made; they have to be approved by the feds," Melton said. "If they made them, we'd have them."
Centre College was able to order covers for the smaller drains in its pool in Boles Natatorium. The pool was drained early last week and the new covers installed on Thursday. The pool will reopen when students return from holiday break on Jan. 5, said John Cuny, Centre's vice president of finance.
The drains at the pool at the McDowell Wellness Center were already in compliance with the law, said director Michael Matthews.
Outdoor pools have until the summer swimming season to bring their drains into compliance.
Melton said it is ironic that KSD's pool is being closed by the new law, which is meant to make drains that operate by a suction system safer.
The KSD drain and filtering system operates by gravity, and doesn't create much danger of pulling a swimmer down, Melton said.
The school was hoping the pool's gravity system, plus the fact that larger drain covers are not being manufactured yet, might earn it some slack.
"We were hoping for a little bit of variance on it but it didn't happen that way," Melton said.
Fines can be levied for pools found out of compliance with the law, though Melton said he isn't sure how much or who will be enforcing the law.
It might fall to the state Attorney General's Office or local health departments, he said.
Copyright:The Advocate-Messenger 2008
