 Most public pools will open for play on 1 September. A few will stay shut for a few weeks longer, while Joburg pours cash into upgrading them. THE City will mark the beginning of spring - officially recognised as 1 September - by opening many of its swimming pools that were closed over winter. Most public pools will open on the day, although several will remain shut while new filtration plants are installed and upgrades are completed. Nine swimming pools will not open on 1 September and will be upgraded at a cost of R200 000 each. The upgrades include electrical repairs, replacement of pipes and filtration systems.  It's almost Spring - swimming time again These pools are expected to open in mid-October; they are Riverlea, Newclare, Florida Lake, Florida North, Noordgesig, Crown Gardens, Malvern, Lenasia ext 2 and Ennerdale ext 9. The Olympic-sized Ellis Park Swimming Pool in Doornfontein, one of the City's heated pools, is being upgraded for the All Africa Games and is expected to open in December. The All Africa Games is a multi-sport event held every four years, organised by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa. All competing countries are from the continent. Five pools will not open at all this year because of ongoing major structural repairs. These are Murray Park, Rhodes Park, Newville, Yeoville and Southern Suburbs swimming pools. "The City apologises to residents affected by the late opening as well as the closure of swimming pools in their areas," said Virgil James, Joburg's spokesperson. The open pools will operate from 10am to 6pm daily, including on public holidays. James added that those pools that would be used for competitions would extend their operating hours as required by the particular event. All public pools cater for adults and children and some offer swimming lessons. "Each pool has one or more qualified lifeguards who are capable of dealing with emergencies. Other staff include a superintendent, supervisors, cloakroom attendants and cashiers where admission is not free," James said. For more information contact the deputy director of sports and recreation in the City, Junior Ramovha on 011 407 6669. Related stories:
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