Cool Waters Aquatic Center opens in West Allis, more to follow

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. - Milwaukee County Parks opened Cool Waters on Saturday, May 25 – the first outdoor aquatic facility the county opened this season.

It took a team of lifeguards to prepare Cool Waters on Saturday morning. They performed final checks before the gates finally reopened in Greenfield Park.

"This is the official kickoff to summer. It’s great to be outdoor swimming," said Jim Delwiche, who couldn’t wait to swim laps at Cool Waters once again. "It’s a lot of fun to see everybody get out and get some fresh air in the pool."

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Kids like Nora Harmon took a dip, too.

"It feels good. Not too hot. Not too cold," she said.

"It’s for everyone in the community," said Andrea Wallace with Milwaukee County Parks. "It’s a zero-depth entry pool. There’s lots of fun pool toys. There’s a playground. Lots of spaces to chill and hangout and enjoy the sun,"

With this, Cool Waters became the first outdoor pool the county opened for the season – including two indoor pools. The county plans to have seven pools open this summer.

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"Schulz Aquatic in Lincoln Park will open on June 8. Wilson and Sheridan pools will open June 15. We are also working on an additional pool in the city of Milwaukee," Wallace said. The county is not releasing which pool that is yet.

And for months, there was an urgent call for lifeguards.

"We have enough lifeguards for what we have open. Our lifeguard recruitment, we had a 36% increase in recruitment over last year," said Wallace.