Swimmers get sick after Cohasset pool opens without final inspection permits

COHASSET - Four young people got sick after swimming in a Cohasset pool that opened without finalizing its inspection permits, the town manager said Thursday.

"On 07/06/2022 the Cohasset Swim Center opened to the public without their finalized building or pool health inspection permits," town manager Christopher Senior said in a statement. "Prior to the premature opening, the Cohasset Health Department learned that a broken pipe caused half the water to leak from the largest pool in the complex, resulting in a chemical imbalance."

The pool opened before the water could be balanced and certified by the health department, Senior said, and "four young adults taking part in swim practice reported feeling ill after leaving the water."

The Swim Center had posted to Facebook Tuesday that "our new filtration system makes the water fresh, crystal clear, and perfectly balanced." They also said a morning inspection with the Board of Health "went swimmingly well" and they passed all requirements with "one exception" that they were working with a pool service company to fix. 

The town manager said the broken pipe and chemical imbalance have since been fixed, and the swim center has its pool certification from the health department. A third party will test the water quality five days a week for the next two weeks, "out of an abundance of caution."