Four young adults sickened after Cohasset Swim Center opens prematurely, town says

Four young adults participating in a swim practice were sickened at the Cohasset Swim Center on Wednesday after the facility opened prematurely and a broken pipe caused a leak in its largest pool, town officials said.

The center, which is not owned or operated by the town, opened to the public without its finalized building permit or pool health inspection permit, according to a statement Thursday from the office of Cohasset Town Manager Christopher G. Senior.

Before the opening, the town Health Department found that a broken pipe had caused half the water in the complex’s largest pool to leak out, which led to a chemical imbalance, according to the statement.

Staff from the swim center opened the pool before the water was fully balanced and properly certified for use, and four young adults later said they felt sick after leaving the water, officials said.

Officials at the swim center did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.

In Facebook posts over the past week, the swim center acknowledged that it had faced difficulties preparing for the summer, including “significant supply chain issues, a cyber attack on one of our vendors, and challenges with contractors.”

But posts on Facebook and Twitter Tuesday afternoon said the pool was open as of 2 p.m. and encouraged residents to visit.

“Our new filtration system makes the water fresh, crystal clear, and perfectly balanced,” one post said.

The town’s director of public health and building commissioner immediately inspected the center after the swimmers became ill and shut it down, according to the statement from the town.

The broken pipe was repaired, and further tests showed that the chemical balance of the pool had been restored, officials said. The Health Department has issued the facility a pool certification, but the swim center is still working to complete some open building permits, according to the statement.

The Health Department will require third-party water quality tests at the pool five days a week for the next two weeks, along with the standard daily testing by staff at the swim center.

We are pleased to announce that we are OPEN !!! Come on down for a swim 🏊🏻‍♀️

— cohasset swim center (@Cohoswimcenter) July 5, 2022