Fox Valley Park District closes water parks for season because of COVID-19

AURORA – The Fox Valley Park District has announced that its Splash Country Water Park and Phillips Park Family Aquatic Center will be closed for the entire swimming season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All passes purchased will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment, according to a news release from the park district. Those who purchased a season pass do not need to request a refund, although it may take up to 14 business days to receive their reimbursement, the release stated.

"In a normal season, the pools draw hundreds to thousands of visitors per day," said Jaime Ijams, director of recreation for the Fox Valley Park District, in a news release. "Due to challenges of enforcing limited group gatherings, social distancing, surface sanitization, and to prevent further possibility of virus spread, we feel it’s our responsibility to close for the 2020 season."

Additionally, Ijams said that operating the pools during the pandemic presents several concerns among staff, including "proper and adequate training for our lifeguards, staffing level adequacy and the extensive staff labor and personal protective equipment required to continue preparing the pools, while adhering to proper social-distancing boundaries."