Anonymous wrote:That is crazy. I don’t know of any 4 am swimmers showering before practice yet all the other pools are fine.

+1

Or, frankly, swimmers at any other practice times showering before practice. My kids have never complained about - and I've not detected - these kinds of problems at any other pool in the area.

That is crazy. I don’t know of any 4 am swimmers showering before practice yet all the other pools are fine.

Anonymous wrote:Update for people following alone. FCPA contacted coaches of teams practicing at Audrey Moore and let them know that the problem was that swimmers aren't taking "soapy showers" in the morning before hitting the pool at 4 a.m. They said the chlorine interacting with body oils, etc., causes the poor air quality. They further said that coaches aren't allowed to prop the doors open. So this is pretty frustrating.

The craziest part is that they want to blame the club teams yet my son says the air quality is always at its worst on Monday mornings prior to swimmers even getting in the pool and no clubs practice there on Sunday’s according to the schedule so just makes no sense

It might be the strong odor from chloramines (byproduct of chlorine interacting with nasty stuff in water from patrons who don’t shower before hand). They could shock the pool to break them down but then it wouldn’t be safe to use for a bit. The more expensive solution would use a potassium monopersulfate oxidizing shock treatment which wouldn’t require long to return to safe levels. Not sure about Aubrey Moore but at other pools most kids and quite a few adults never pre-rinse. They could also impose (enforce an existing policy?) a new requirement. I bet there would be a backlash. Do any have a shower outside the locker room?

Update for people following alone. FCPA contacted coaches of teams practicing at Audrey Moore and let them know that the problem was that swimmers aren't taking "soapy showers" in the morning before hitting the pool at 4 a.m. They said the chlorine interacting with body oils, etc., causes the poor air quality. They further said that coaches aren't allowed to prop the doors open. So this is pretty frustrating.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I have kids in club at 4:30 a.m. and on Sunday nights. I've been getting the most complaints about the early morning practices. I wrote to Fairfax County Parks and Rec to ask them about the situation. They got back to me on Friday, which I appreciated, and said that all levels were normal and within regulation. They did say they would "increase the rate at which the exhaust fans kick on."

Yep. Don't just complain here. Raise the issue with Fairfax County Parks (FCPARECenters@fairfaxcounty.gov). The more the merrier.

Yes, I have kids in club at 4:30 a.m. and on Sunday nights. I've been getting the most complaints about the early morning practices. I wrote to Fairfax County Parks and Rec to ask them about the situation. They got back to me on Friday, which I appreciated, and said that all levels were normal and within regulation. They did say they would "increase the rate at which the exhaust fans kick on."

I grew up going there [it was called Wakefield back then] and it was a problem back in those days so I wouldn't count on it getting better soon...

It’s been going on forever. When my swimmer was 9 (now 14) and swam there it wasn’t unusual to have several kids throwing up a couple times a month because the air quality was so bad. Especially hard on kids with asthma.

Any idea What's the issue or how long it's been happening? Was just thinking about doing some lessons there

I know a family who is driving an hour out of their way to another practice to avoid the issue. It's apparently been going on for some time, unfortunately.

My kid is there earlier in the afternoon and mentioned how bad it was yesterday. I think a lot is just the weather being so hot and humid.

This was regular club practice at 7pm

It must be one of those winter swim time slots on Sunday. The pool is packed with swimmers, and with parents in the stands in an indoor place, no wonder the air quality is bad.

Anyone with swimmers at Audrey Moore getting more complaints about the air quality? My DD said that she had to sit out of practice because she couldn't breathe and the coach ended one practice early because everyone was coughing. Seems like the air quality is worse than the usual crap baseline there. I suppose there's no other option than to suck it up since pool space is so limited.