Safety inspections delay openings of some Triangle pools
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Some community swimming pools across the Triangle may not be open in time for Memorial Day weekend after electrical inspections uncovered problems.
Regular electrical inspections at swimming pools are not required by law, but several homeowners associations are following the recommendation of the NC Dept. Of Health and Human Services to have a licensed electrician inspect their pools and evaluate the safety of the electrical systems.
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That recommendation followed the death of 17-year-old Enloe High School student Rachel Rosoff, a Raleigh lifeguard who was killed in an electrified swimming pool on Sept. 3, 2016.
"We don't want a tragedy like that to occur here," said Robert Ulrich, Cameron Pond Community Association Vice President.
Cary's Cameron Pond Community Association chose to have its pool undergo an electrical inspection in March, which uncovered several issues including the need for conduit and outlet replacements and a handrail that needs bonding repair.
The repairs at Cameron Pond are minimal compared to other communities under Omega Association Management, which runs more than 100 HOA's across the Triangle.
Of Omega's 22 pools, all acted on DHHS's recommendation for electrical inspections and only three remain closed because of bonding work that needs to be completed.
Kelly Haight, spokesperson for DHHS released the following statement to ABC11:
"The DHHS Division of Public Health believes that the elevated awareness of electrical hazards and recommended inspection of electrical systems for swimming pools by licensed electricians will have a positive impact on the safety of swimmers and pool employees."
Ulrich hopes the weather will cooperate for crews to complete the electrical repairs and the county to inspect the work in time to open Cameron Pond's pool by Memorial Day weekend, but says the delay is well worth it.
"The safety of everyone is of greater concern to us than opening on a particular day, even Memorial Day weekend," he said. "We'd love to do that. We want to do that. But if it means delaying it slightly for the safety of people who use this pool, we'll delay it."
