Hot tub at Naperville fitness club closed again

DuPage County Health Department officials have once again shut down the hot tub at a fitness club in Naperville, this time because of inconsistent disinfectant levels.

The hot tub at LA Fitness along Freedom Drive reopened in January after being closed for more than two months because of two confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease.

County health officials said they had been monitoring the hot tub since it reopened. It was during those regular checks that they learned the disinfectant levels in the tub were inconsistent in meeting state regulatory standards.

Health department spokesman David Hass said the club agreed to close the hot tub on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. It will remain closed until the problem can be fixed.

"They did it voluntarily," Hass said. "We've been in contact with them. It wasn't like we went in and they were surprised. They have been very cooperative with us."

Hass said the closure allows the facility operators to consider and implement remedies that will resolve the disinfectant level concerns.

"The ball is back in their court to get it fixed," said Hass, adding that the rest of the fitness club, including the pool, will stay open.

The first closure of the hot tub happened in October when health department officials learned two men who used the spa were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, which is a severe form of pneumonia. Tests later determined the hot tub was the source of the illness.

The two men who contracted Legionnaires' were hospitalized and subsequently recovered.