AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Summer is right around the corner, and that means pool season!
Many public pools will be open around Memorial Day.

For those who have their own backyard pool, it’s time to take the cover off and get it ready for the season.

Robert Bodnar owns his own pool in Austintown. He got a bit of a surprise when he removed the cover.

“I took the cover off, and I had some issues with my liner. The liner had pulled away from the wall,” he said.

Bodnar is in the process of replacing the liner and draining the pool. He says this is the first time in 30 years that his pool has been green after removing the cover. Despite the setback, he’s confident the pool will be ready to go for the summer.

“There are a lot of things involved with the water. the hardness that people don’t understand until you get a swimming pool,” Bodnar said.

Pool stores are seeing a lot of traffic right now. Brian Remias, the owner of Carribbean Pools in Austintown, is busy with customers buying the products they need.

“First step you are going to do is shock the pool,” Remias said.

Then, algaecide is added followed by chlorine and bromine, Remias explained.

Remias says the prices of their pool supplies are relatively back to normal.

“During the pandemic, we did see a huge price increase on a lot of products. Within the last year, we did see prices come down and most of them stayed the same,” he said.

For kids enjoying backyard pools this summer, safety is of the utmost importance.

“Our pools that you purchase through us all have ladders that are detachable for safety reasons,” Remias said.

The Red Cross suggests the following safety measures for home pools:

Secure Your Pool When Not in Use

• Completely surround your pool with four-sided isolation fencing with a self-closing and self-latching gate that is out of the reach of a child.
• A four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.
• For above-ground pools, secure, lock or remove steps, ladders and anything that can be used for access (such as outdoor furniture and toys) whenever the pool is not being actively supervised by an adult.
• Install a secondary barrier, such as:
  • Door alarms and locks that are out of the reach of a child on all doors and windows with direct access to the pool or spa area
  • Lockable covers

For further details, consult the pool barrier guidelines issued by The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Establish and Enforce Rules and Safe Behaviors

• Do not enter head first unless in a pool that has a safe diving area.
• Stay away from drains and other openings that cause suction.
• Swim with a buddy.
• Only swim when supervised by a water watcher.
• Swim sober.
• Supervise others sober and without distractions, such as reading or talking on or using a cell phone.

Take These Water Safety Steps

• Employ layers of protection including barriers to prevent access to water, life jackets, and close supervision of children to prevent drowning.
• Ensure every member of your family learns to swim so they at least achieve skills of water competency: able to enter the water, get a breath, stay afloat, change position, swim a distance then get out of the water safely.
• Know what to do in a water emergency – including how to help someone in trouble in the water safely, call for emergency help and CPR.