The Department of Community Development is gradually closing municipal swimming pools across the city due to a critical shortage of chlorine supplies. By Monday 16 November 2026 all city pools will be closed until further notice.

While the city understands the immense frustration this causes during peak summer heat, keeping pools open without proper chemical treatment poses a severe health risk to swimmers.

“We know how vital our public pools are to families and young people trying to beat the heat right now and we share the community’s disappointment,” says Acting Director Mbulelo Bezu.

“However, the health and safety of our residents must always come first. Operating unchlorinated pools is unsafe, so we made the difficult decision to close the facilities while we urgently resolve this supply chain disruption.”

The Department has activated emergency procurement protocols to secure new chlorine stock. Once supplies arrive, technical teams will immediately begin treating and testing the water to ensure it meets strict public health standards.

“We anticipate reopening pools once the process is complete and will provide daily progress updates until doors open”, says Bezu.

“We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience as we work around the clock to restore services safely”.