The indoor pool at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road, will remain closed until at least Sunday (Jan. 13) after a St. Louis County resident diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease was connected with the pool.
“At this point, they (health officials) are not sure where the case of Legionnaires’ was contracted,” Arnold City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “We are one of several places they are inspecting.”
However, the city has closed the pool and plans to disinfect it as a precautionary measure.
“We want to be extra safe,” Richison said.
The city closed the pool at about 4 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 10) after being contacted by the Jefferson County Health Department about a potential problem.
Richison said the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services alerted the Jefferson County Health Department about the pool’s possible connection to the disease.
State inspectors were at the pool this morning (Jan. 11) and did a visual inspection of the pool and checked the chemical records, he said.
A water sample was not taken because there was only one reported case. However, if a second person connected to the pool is diagnosed with Legionnaire’s, a water sample would be taken, Richison said.
“They (the inspectors) told us we can continue to operate normally,” Richison said. “But we will do a full disinfection. They are not ordering that. It is up to us.”
Richison said a large amount of chlorine will be poured into the pool to sterilize the water. He said the process takes 24 hours.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia with lung inflammation, usually caused by infection. Legionnaires’ disease is caused by a bacterium known as Legionella. You can't catch Legionnaires' disease from person-to-person contact. Instead, most people get it from inhaling the bacteria.
“There is no strong evidence that there is any kind of Legionella bacteria in our pool system,” Richison said. “If there is, the excess chlorine will basically kill it.”
Richison said it is not known when the infected person used the pool or how many times, although the person reportedly used it multiple times.
Richison said that the rest of the rec center is still open, although it could be closed early if the snowfall for the area becomes too severe. He said the city would announce any closing on its website and Facebook page.
Depending on the weather, Richison said, it’s possible the rec center could be closed Saturday (Jan. 12), but that decision will not be made until early in the morning. He said a post will made on the city’s website and Facebook page about the rec center’s hours.
Richison said members also will receive emails about what hours the rec center will be open over the weekend.