Washington, D.C.’s Wilson Aquatic Center, located in Tenleytown, closed indefinitely due to emergency repairs following a failed health inspection Feb. 14.

Inspectors found 13 code violations at the aquatic facility, according to a D.C. Health inspection report obtained by John Henry of WUSA. The violations included incorrect temperatures, inadequate record-keeping and leakage from pipes.

Wilson Aquatic Center, one of the District’s most popular pools, boasts a 50 by 25-meter competition-sized swimming pool with diving boards, one leisure pool and one whirlpool. After the failed inspection, the D.C.’s Department of Health (DOH), responsible for the health of District residents, and the Department of General Services (DGS), in charge of creating and managing District properties, said that they are currently working to correct the issues.

“The health, safety and well-being of District residents is our foremost priority,” DOH and DGS officials said in a joint statement Feb. 17. “The Wilson Aquatic Center received notice from the Department of Health (DOH) on issues requiring corrective actions. The Department of General Services (DGS) is working on the necessary repairs and the pool will be reopened, as soon as the repairs are completed.”

D.C. Department of Health said they issued the suspension due to the amount of violations.

“Summary suspension is issued for operating an aquatic facility with improper temperatures and not maintaining the facility in good condition by repairing structural or design defects,” the report read.

The hand sink temperature in the facility was 61 degrees Fahrenheit, while the shower head temperature was 57 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the report. The hand sinks should provide water at a minimum of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and showerheads should not be at a temperature less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Rule 602.2 and Rule 602.7 of D.C. Department of Health swimming pool and spa regulations. The pool also had a nonfunctioning exhaust ventilation system and leakage from pipes that needed repairs. 

D.C. Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin said he has been in contact with the necessary agencies regarding the emergency repairs needed to reopen the pool.

“I met with the Department of General Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation this week and pressed for an expeditious short-term fix and continued planning for a lasting long-term solution,” Frumin said in a statement shared with WUSA. “The Wilson Aquatic Center is a popular community amenity I use frequently and I’m working to restore access to residents as soon as possible.”

Joe Massaua (SFS ’25), a representative of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2E, which oversees the Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale neighborhoods, said the District’s course of action regarding the repairs was the best approach available.

“DGS and DOH made the right decision in closing the pool for emergency repairs,” Massaua wrote to The Hoya. 

Massaua said the situation reflects a need to invest further in D.C. community spaces.

“The Wilson Aquatic Center is a vital part of the community,” Massaua wrote. “ These repairs illustrate the need for increased funding to community facilities.”