Pools Open, Closed For Memorial Day Swimming In Waukesha

WAUKESHA, WI — Memorial Day doesn’t just mark the unofficial start of summer in Waukesha — it’s also the weekend most outdoor pools and aquatic centers open their doors for summer swimming and other warm-weather fun.

Last year, summer looked a lot different for Waukesha families as many area pools remained closed for the season to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus — a pandemic that, at the time, was just two months old.

But this Memorial Day — with more than 120 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and weekly COVID-19-related deaths at a 14-month low — many pools will once again open this summer.

Here are pools in Waukesha:

• Horeb Springs Aquatic Center, 330 Spring St., In Horeb Spring Park, opens Friday, June 11.
• Buchner Pool & Community Center, 223 Oakland Ave., opens Friday, June 11.

Celebrate the grand opening of the new Buchner Pool and Community Room, noon to 2 p.m., on Sat., June 12 in Buchner Park, 231 Oakland Ave, according to a news release.

The new Buchner Park Pool features include a 50-meter lap pool with diving well, wading pool, water slides, and current channel.

The City of Waukesha invites the public to celebrate the City's 125th Anniversary atthe annual Buchner Park Children's Festival, Buchnerfest, 10 a.m. to noon.

Buchnerfest requires free, advanced registration. Timeslots are available between the hours of 9:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

The Buchner park pool grand opening will take place at noon with the pool party held from noon-2 p.m. Paid pool admission or pool membership is required for the pool party.

There is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 can spread to others through water in pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds or other treated aquatic venues, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

While no data exists on how COVID-19 responds to chlorine, the chemical has been known to inactivate similar viruses.

But going to a public pool involves more than swimming, and that’s where the risk can be found.

Assessing that out-of-water risk involves looking at several variables, according to MIT Medical, which suggest people should avoid the “three C’s” — closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with many people nearby, and close-contact settings, such as close-range conversation.

Fortunately, being outdoors and in spaces with good ventilation also reduces the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, according to the CDC.