County raises health concerns about hotel pools

Jul. 6—When entering a hotel pool area, getting hit with an eye-watering chlorine smell is a sign that something may be off about the water. It's an issue common in Clatsop County.

As of mid-June, over half of the county's pool and spa inspections this year led to a closure after failing to meet state requirements for health and safety.

Water quality issues were the most common reason, according to Meredith Reiley, an environmental health specialist with the county's food, pool and lodging program.

During an inspection, the county checks for water balance, which includes pH balance and chlorine or bromine levels. They also check that the equipment is functional and ensure the facility is frequently testing the water.

Without proper maintenance, unbalanced pools can cause eye and skin irritation and grow harmful bacteria.

"Our goal is more education than regulation, so we do give them the opportunity to correct the violations. Especially now, since we're coming out of the pandemic and the pools are opening up again, we have been working a lot more with the operators than we may in, quote, 'normal times,'" Reiley said.

When the water quality falls out of the acceptable range, the inspector will ask the operator to close the pool. It typically takes a few days to correct the water balance and reopen.

"Sometimes it's a matter of an hour or so because the combined chlorine was a little high, but there had just been a whole volleyball team in the pool," she said. "They can usually fix that pretty quickly."

In some cases, however, businesses have had pools and spas closed repeatedly.

"This is an ongoing trend and too often we are dealing with repeat offenders. We closed the pool of one lodging business five out of the six times it was inspected during a two-month period earlier this year," Reiley said in a statement released by the county.

That business was the Red Lion Inn & Suites in Seaside, according to inspection reports obtained by The Astorian. The Red Lion was among four lodging facilities that had pools or spas closed more than once this year.

The first of six inspections in January and February of this year at the Red Lion listed issues with the pool's enclosure, equipment, record-keeping and water testing. The inspection found that the hotel lacked a knowledgeable pool operator on site. The spa was also closed several times.

In late February, the county also received a complaint from a guest that the pool had black mold growing in the swimming area and the water seemed to have a "very off sheen to it." Online reviews of the hotel as recent as two weeks ago describe issues with the pool's smell and appearance.

The Red Lion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The pool and spa at Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach were closed once in April, and twice in early June, due to water balance issues.

"Anyone who has a pool might have an issue balancing it for a period of time," said Mark Hemmer, the president of Vesta Hospitality, a Vancouver, Washington-based company that purchased Surfsand Resort on July 1. He said the hotel has certified pool operators on staff.

"It is my understanding that the closures at this hotel in the past were for hours at a time, which is pretty reasonable and pretty typical. I certainly don't mean to alarm anybody by that," he said. "Sometimes out of the interest of safety you close the pool while you're getting the chemicals rebalanced."

The spa at Land's End at Cannon Beach was closed once in mid-May for having no bromine, then closed again the next day for having over twice the maximum level of bromine. It was reopened at proper levels by the end of the week. Land's End did not respond to a request for comment.

The pool and spa at Best Western Bayfront Hotel in Astoria were closed twice in April to adjust chlorine and pH levels. The hotel did not respond to a request for comment.

Over a dozen other lodging businesses had their pools or spas closed at least once this year. The county said that it is not finding many issues with municipal pools due to proper employee training.

Reiley said that guests can often tell for themselves when there's an issue with pool water.

"Look at the clarity of the water. Look for that floor drain in the pool. If it's nice and crystal clear and you can see every screw that's holding that drain cover down, that's a good thing. If you can't even find the floor drain, you don't want to get into the pool," she said.