Swimming pool repairs will soon be under way at two north suburban Chicago high schools, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Last year, Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School, both part of School District 128, were informed their pool drains did not meet state safety guidelines. After temporarily shutting down both pools, officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health set a repair deadline of October 1. School officials negotiated the pools' reopening, however, and negotiated a new deadline for June 1.
Repairs at the Vernon Hills campus are set to begin as soon as the contractor receives its supplies, and the work should take roughly 10 days to complete. Libertyville High School, home of the Wildcats, will begin repairs after the IDPH signs off on its plans, according to the Tribune.
Officials say the current drains could trap swimmers underwater. Anti-entrapment drain covers have become a requirement for public pools in Illinois and other states following passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety Act, named for a 7-year-old girl who was sucked to the bottom of a hot tub and drowned, according to Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM.
