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Webber pool closes again, more testing being done

Park Board expresses frustration, concern about future of the $7M pool.

July 26, 2018 at 4:10AM
Robert Brown, a water resource specialist for the Minneapolis Park Department, tested the water at Webber Park Pool, Thursday, July 5, 2018 in Minneapolis, MN. Webber Pool's natural filtration system can't seem to keep the bacteria out of the water. The pool has been closed for multiple stretches this summer. The pool opened two years late and way over budget in 2015. ] ELIZABETH FLORES ï liz.flores@startribune.com
Robert Brown, a water resource specialist for the Minneapolis Park Department, tested the water at Webber Park Pool, Thursday, July 5, 2018 in Minneapolis,. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Webber pool in north Minneapolis has been closed more days this summer than it has been open.

The natural swimming pool remained closed Wednesday, the 21st day it hasn't been in use this summer because of contaminated water caused by ducks swimming and depositing fecal matter in the pond and swimming pools.

Minneapolis park staff said bacteria levels were too high to open Tuesday and Wednesday. The pool is always closed on Mondays.

Frustrations were expressed during a staff update at the Minneapolis Park Board meeting Wednesday night. Commissioner Kale Severson, whose district represents the pool, said he was worried about its future.

Park staffers are working to reopen the pool. More samples were taken Wednesday morning, and staff plans to release another update late Thursday morning.

Jeremy Barrick, the board's assistant superintendent for environmental stewardship, said that staff is "putting in a lot of time and energy" in finding a solution to the problem.

The three-year-old, $7 million pool, which uses natural filtering instead of chlorine to clean the water, first closed on June 24. It had reopened for a brief period before being shut down again.

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647 Twitter: @KarenAnelZamora

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Robert Brown, a water resource specialist for the Minneapolis Park Department, tested the water at Webber Park Pool, Thursday, July 5, 2018 in Minneapolis, MN. Webber Pool's natural filtration system can't seem to keep the bacteria out of the water. The pool has been closed for multiple stretches this summer. The pool opened two years late and way over budget in 2015. ] ELIZABETH FLORES ï liz.flores@startribune.com
Webber’s natural filtration system can’t seem to keep bacteria at bay. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Karen Zamora, Star Tribune

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