EMM opens pools for summer
Spring has sprung and soon the summer swimming season will be upon us.
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) has assured residents throughout the metro to get their swimwear ready after it declared all municipal swimming pools ready for use by the public.
In preparation for the season, the EMM conducted an extensive maintenance and repair programme at all its pools during the winter season and constructed new pools in other areas to have them ready this swimming season.
The swimming season preparation included advanced training courses for lifeguards who will soon be deployed to serve communities.
The lifeguard certificates have to be renewed each year for both the practical and theoretical examinations and the lifeguards have to undergo regular training during their service to the swimming industry.
In a bid to curb drowning at its public pools, the EMM has started a residents’ safety project, offering patrons of all age groups, from as young as three, the ‘Learn-to-Swim’ programme under the supervision of qualified swimming instructors.
The programme assists people with no swimming skills and helps develop intermediate swimmers to become advanced swimmers.
Ekurhuleni has over 30 community swimming pools, with two lifeguards allocated to each swimming pool. The lifeguards are responsible for all lifesaving duties, facility management, water treatment and testing, asset control, housekeeping and crowd control.
