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Aquatics Center Pool Use Guidelines
The Eden Prairie Community Center has chair lifts available at each pool to allow for accessible entry into and exit out of the pools.
Community Center management reserves the right to remove participants exhibiting inappropriate behavior from the facility.
- Diving boards are open and available for use only when a lifeguard is on duty, only one person on a diving board at a time
- Swimmers must check the diving area before going off the board and ensure the previous diver is out of the way before diving, swimmers must jump straight off the end
- Only one bounce permitted on the board
- Individuals must be able to swim 25 yards independently, doing any American Red Cross-certified stroke in a forward motion
- Lifeguards reserve the right to require a swim test on any swimmer before permitting them to use the diving board
Prohibited from the Diving Board area:
- Jumping or diving is from the side of the board
- Swimming or walking under the diving board
- Running, double-bouncing, handstands, cartwheels, somersaults and flips
- Hanging from the board
- Swimming in the diving well when board is in use
- Inward dives, inward somersaults or dives where the diver comes back towards the board
- Individuals attempting to catch another individual off the diving board
- Lifejackets or swimsuits with flotation devices
- Flotation devices of any kind
- Goggles
- No person with or suspected of having a communicable disease which could be transmitted through the use of the pool shall work at or use any public pool.
- A person with any considerable area of exposed sub-epidermal tissue, open blisters or cuts must be warned that these may become infected and advised not to use the pool.
- Any person using a pool must take a cleansing shower using warm water and soap before entering the pool enclosure. A user leaving the pool to use the toilet must take a second cleansing shower before returning to the pool enclosure. A person who exercises or applies lotion must shower before using the pool.
- Spitting, spouting water from the mouth and blowing the nose in the pool is prohibited.
- No running, boisterous or rough play is permitted in the pool, locker rooms or shower rooms, or on the diving board or platforms.
- Glassware and similar materials with a tendency to shatter on impact are not allowed in the pool enclosure area.
- Domestic animals are not permitted in the pool enclosure, showers or dressing rooms, with the exception of service animals.
- Any person suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol shall be prohibited from entering the facility.
- No swimming allowed for individuals 17 and under when no lifeguard is on duty, except for lap swimmers preapproved by the Aquatics Supervisor.
- All pools are a shared space. Swimmers must be respectful of other pool users as to not disrupt other activities.
- All life jackets must be US Coast Guard-approved; an adult must be within arm’s reach of a child in a life jacket.
- No personal flotation devices or swimsuits with flotation devices are allowed when using the water slide or diving board.
- Children who are not toilet-trained must wear a cloth diaper with plastic pants or a swimsuit diaper.
- Children ages 7 and under must be accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older in the water, within arm’s reach of the child.
- Children ages 8-11 must be accompanied by a person 16 years of age or older in the facility at all times.
- Appropriate swimwear [PDF] is required in order to use the hot tub and pools.
Prohibited from the pool and locker room areas:
- Any person with or suspected of having a communicable disease and/or an open/infectious sore
- Any person under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Paper diapers of any type
- Unsafe or disruptive behavior
- Glass objects of any type
- Spitting, spouting water from the mouth and blowing the nose in the pool
- Running or rough play
- No lifeguard on duty during lap swim.
- Lap swimmers must be age 18 or older, except during designated Youth Lap Swim times; hours are advertised on the pool schedule
- Lap swim may be offered in both the Lap Pool and Dive Pool, hours are advertised on the pool schedule
- Lap swimmers are to limit their swimming to the designated lap lanes
- Lap lanes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, lap swimmers are encouraged to circle swim.
- Lifeguard(s) are on duty
- Open to individuals of all ages
- Children 7 and under must be accompanied by person age 16 or older in the water, within arm’s reach of the child at all times
- U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices are allowed, however, a person age 16 or older must be in the pool within arm’s reach of the person
- No outside training, this includes swimming and diving lessons
- Children may use soft balls and small water toys at the head guard’s discretion, these items may not be used in the Aquatics Center diving well.
Prohibited from the pool during Open Swim:
- Kickboards and mats
- Outside instructional or inflatable devices
- Cutoffs or T-shirts
- Full face masks or face masks made with tempered glass, flippers and snorkels
- All Open Swim policies apply.
- Participants should be 5 years old and under.
- Children 7 and under must be accompanied by person age 16 or older in the water, within arm’s reach of the child at all times.
- Individuals must be age 14 or older
- Individuals must be Community Center members or purchase a day pass
- Lap Swim fees do not include admittance to water exercise classes
- During class, unused pool space may be made available to patrons not participating in the class, dependent upon space available.
- All users must be at least 48 inches tall
- All users must be able to successfully swim the width of the pool using an American Red Cross-certified stroke
- Lifeguards reserve the right to require a swim test on any swimmer prior to them being allowed to use the slide
- One person on the slide at a time
Prohibited from the waterslide area:
- Individuals attempting to catch another individual at the bottom of the slide
- Lifejackets
- Flotation devices of any kind
- Running up the stairs
- Running or leaping entries to the slide
- Spinning, standing, kneeling or stopping while on the slide
- Goggles
Pool-Specific Information
- The water temperature is kept at approximately 84 degrees Fahrenheit
- 8-lane, 25-yard pool, 3.5 feet deep at the north end, 12 feet deep at the south end
- Two 1-meter diving boards and starting blocks (availability varies)
- A chair lift and stairs are available for entry into and exit from the pool
- Open for use to individuals ages 18 and older
- Participants 17 years of age and younger may use the pool when a lifeguard is on duty
- Only swim lesson participants and staff may be in the water during swimming lessons
- The diving board may be used only when a lifeguard is on duty
- The water temperature is kept at approximately 103 degrees Fahrenheit
- The hot tub is for use by individuals ages 18 and older
- The hot tub is open for use during building hours, unless the pool area is closed or swimming lessons are occurring
- Hot tub is closed for scheduled maintenance alternating Tuesdays from 8-10 p.m., see front desk for specific dates
- Inappropriate, lewd or vulgar behavior is not tolerated
- Pregnant women, small children, or persons with heart disease, diabetes, high or low blood pressure should not enter the hot tub except under advice of a physician
- The water temperature is kept at approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit
- 8-lane, 25-yard pool, 4 feet deep at the north end, 7 feet deep at the south end
- A chair lift is available for entry into and exit from the pool
- Open for use to adults only ages 18 and older
- Individuals ages 7 and older may use the pool only when a lifeguard is on duty during Youth Lap Swim, hours are advertised on the pool schedule
- Starting blocks are only to be used with a certified coach or instructor in attendance.
- The water temperature is kept at approximately 86 degrees Fahrenheit
- Zero-depth entry pool with water play features, ranges from 0 feet to 3.5 feet
- Open for use to individuals ages 18 and older in the roped area near the hot tub
- Individuals ages 17 and under may use the pool when a lifeguard is on duty
- The zero-depth area with play features is only open when a lifeguard is on duty
- Waterslide hours are advertised on the pool schedule
Aquatics Center FAQ
Patrons may bring and use personal Bluetooth speakers as long as their music is family-friendly (no swearing, mention of drug/alcohol use, etc.) and it doesn’t disturb other patrons. If a lifeguard asks you to turn the volume down or turn the music off, you must do so.
Can I catch my child when they jump off the diving board, or when they’re coming down the waterslide?
No. This poses a safety hazard to both you and your child. Participants should also be able to pass a swim test using an American Red Cross-approved stroke before using either the waterslide or the diving board.
Our slide is a single-rider flume. According to manufacturer guidelines, only one person is allowed on the waterslide at a time.
No. Anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed in the spa or the spa area (defined as the white and blue tile surrounding the hot tub).
- Families with children ages 5 and younger can bring other children up to age 7 during Tot Time Open Swim. If siblings are age 8 or older, we ask that families attend a regular Open Swim session in the recreational pool. Tot Time Open Swim is intended to give toddlers a comfortable environment to explore the new pool.
In order to teach at our facilities, instructors must be Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructors and employed by the City of Eden Prairie – we want to ensure skills are taught safely and correctly when using instructional equipment such as kickboards/barbells/pull buoys.
- Red wristbands: Participants ages 0–7
- Yellow wristbands: Participants ages 8–17
- Green wristbands: Participants ages 18+
The men’s, women’s and family locker rooms near the Community Center lobby open to a tile hallway that connects to both the competition pool area and the recreational pool (with the play features). There are also men’s and women’s tile locker rooms that connect swimmers to the competition pools. Patrons are welcome to use any of the locker rooms. The men’s and women’s tile locker rooms are geared toward participants using the competition pools. If you are using those locker rooms and wish to exit to the recreational pool, you may do so by using the east door that leads to the tile hallway outside the rec pool.
Everyone using the Aquatics Center pools, slide and hot tub (excluding rental groups that have been pre-approved by Community Center staff) must wear a Community Center-issued wristband. Patrons must obtain a new wristband at the Community Center front desk each day they visit the Aquatics Center.
The wristband policy ensures that everyone using the Aquatics Center has checked in at the front desk. A wristband is an easy visual for our staff to see, and by having participants wearing it, we avoid having to interrupt during their time enjoying the facility to verify that they have checked in.
Inflatables are not Coast Guard-approved floatation devices. They pose a safety hazard to users that rely on it as a primary floatation device, as they may lose their grip on it or have it suddenly deflate. Inflatables also obscure the lifeguard’s field of vision when scanning the pool, which can delay recognition and response to water emergencies.
Safety breaks are held midway through Open Rec Swim and ensure that all participants are accounted for, and give participants a break from swimming so they can rest and hydrate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
- More children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death, except birth defects.
- For children ages 1–4, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
- 3,960 fatal unintentional drownings, including boated-related drownings, occur each year in the U.S. — that is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.
- 8080 nonfatal drownings occur each year in the U.S. — that is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
Lifeguards are the secondary line of defense with parents/guardians being the first. The first chain in the American Red Cross’ Circle of Drowning Prevention is for caregivers to “provide close and constant attention to children in or near water, even when a lifeguard is present, no matter how well a child can swim or how shallow the water.”
According to manufacturer guidelines, the waterslide is to be used by children over the age of 5. The waterslide is not open since Tot Time is intended for participants younger than the minimum age requirement.
The recreational pool schedule is evaluated weekly and modified based on demand and peak usage hours. Because it is a zero-depth entry pool, the state requires that lifeguards be on duty whenever children 17 and under are present. Any time the water slide is open, there also needs to be an attendant and lifeguard monitoring the slide. The pool is intended to provide the community with a variety of aquatic opportunities including, swimming lessons, open swim, adult fitness classes, etc. Please check the Aquatics Center page for updated schedules.