Wading pool opens in Arlington Heights

The smallest swimmers in Arlington Heights were able to access public wading pools for the first time Wednesday.

The wading pool at Frontier Park opened at 1 p.m. Wednesday after replacement grate covers were installed.

The wading pools at all five pools operated by the Arlington Heights Park District were kept closed when the swimming pools opened because the drain covers used in them were recalled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled the drain covers May 26 after it found that they might trap swimmers underwater.

“We are happy to hear that the grates are on their way,” Director of Parks and Planning Brian Huckstadt said Wednesday before the Frontier grates arrived and were installed.

He said that the covers for three more wading pools are set to arrive Thursday and will be installed immediately, with the wading pools then becoming usable.

The park district staff cannot locate replacement drain covers for the wading pool at Pioneer Park, so it will remain closed indefinitely. Huckstadt said he contacted 10 suppliers trying to get new covers for the pool without success.

Because all the Arlington Heights pools except for the one at Recreation Park have zero slope entry pools, small children have been able to play in the shallow water at the entrance to the swimming pools until the wading pools reopen.