A swarm of insects, believed to be midges, has led to the closure of Halls Creek pool with the facility not expected to be opened until sometime next month.
The swarm of insects invaded the pool on Sunday with many swimmers complaining of being bitten by very small midge-like insects.
After the weekend, the pool followed its regular two-day closure and was not inspected until Tuesday afternoon by which time the infestation has become so bad it had affected the pH balance of the water.
In a statement provided by the Shire of Halls Creek it said that it was decided to close the pool for 24-hours to adjust the chemicals, however, it was then discovered the facilities pH monitoring equipment was not, “functioning optimally.”
“As a result, manual testing, dosing, and monitoring are now required, which significantly increases the labor demand. Unfortunately, we currently do not have the necessary qualified staff to manage this manually,” the statement read.
“It is essential that pH testing and balancing are done to the highest standard by certified staff to ensure the health and safety of the public using the facility.”
Shire of Halls Creek CEO Sue Leonard said they were working with their partners across the State to source temporary staff but were so far unsuccessful.
“In the meantime, we have three Shire staff currently in Perth for training, and while there, they will complete the necessary qualifications to reopen the pool by next month.”
“We apologize to the community for this unfortunate series of events. We understand the pool is a valuable community asset, and we are doing our utmost to reopen it as soon as possible.”
It is a blow to residents of Halls Creek who saw the pool closed until further notice on October’s hottest day so far with temperatures reaching 41.7 degrees on Wednesday.
The insect swarm has been caused by seasonal changes associated with the incoming wet season.
https://thewest.com.au/news/the-kimberley-echo/midge-infestation-leads-to-halls-creek-pool-closure-during-41c-heatwave-c-16507967
