Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio— Pools across the city of Cleveland will open free of charge for the 2023 summer season beginning on Saturday, June 10 at noon, city officials announced in a press statement.

A nationwide shortage of lifeguards, which has been widely reported, is forcing local pools across the U.S. to close or restrict hours for the summer, and Cleveland is no exception.

For a full list of the city's pools and spray parks, visit Recreation Centers and Pools | City of Cleveland (clevelandohio.gov).

Consistent with last year, the city saw a decrease in applicants for seasonal life-guarding positions. This has greatly impacted day-to-day operations and requires creative scheduling to ensure all Clevelanders can enjoy their local pool, city officials have said.

To maximize these limited resources, the city will initiate the following summer pool operational plan for the 2023 season.

For customer and staff safety all outdoor pools will have security on site from opening to closing each day of operations.

Outdoor Pools

All 20 outdoor pools will operate Wednesday through Sunday from Saturday, June 10, 2023, through Sunday, August 6, 2023. Depending on the number of seasonal lifeguards available to stay on, the city may extend the summer pool season through Sunday, August 20, 2023. Alternatively, remaining seasonal lifeguards will be placed at select pools throughout the City of Cleveland to provide pool service through August 20.

All outdoor pools will remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays regardless of outdoor temperatures.

Normal hours of pool operation are noon – 7:45 p.m.

Each outdoor pool will operate 45-minute sessions to maximize customer usage. At the conclusion of each session users must leave the pool and are free to check back in to re-enter the pool. Customers must line up (first come, first serve) for each session.

Each pool will close daily from 4 – 5 p.m.

Each pool has a capacity limit set to assist with user safety and control. All deep ends of the pool will be closed for customer safety.

Indoor Pools

Indoor pools will operate three days a week beginning Monday, June 12, 2023, through Friday, August 18, 2023.

Indoor pools operational hours during the summer are noon – 7:45 p.m.

Each indoor pool will operate 45-minute sessions to maximize customer usage. At the conclusion of each session users must leave the pool and are free to check back in to re-enter the pool. Customers must line up (first come, first serve) for each session.

Each pool will close daily from 4 – 5 p.m.

Each pool has a capacity limit set to assist with user safety and control. All deep ends of the pool will be closed for customer safety.

Indoor pools will resume normal operations Monday through Friday (11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.) and Saturdays (9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) the week of August 21, 2023.