Out of an abundance of caution, the city of Arlington, Texas, briefly closed all of its swimming pools and splash pads as they awaited test results for the presence of Naegleria fowleri, also known as “brain eating amoeba.”
According to a press release, on August 29, the Environmental Protection Agency sent the city a “critical notification” that a laboratory had observed active trophozoites (protozoan parasites) in a water sample collected from a splash pad in mid-August.
These trophozoites are part of the life cycle of some organisms, one of which could develop into Naegleria fowleri.
Though extremely rare, Naegleria fowleri amoeba cause a fatal infection in humans.
Because the type of trophozoites in the sample were unidentified, the EPA said the findings should be considered a “presumptive positive result for Naegleria fowleri” pending further testing.
Although the sample was from only one splash pad, Arlington made the decision to close all aquatics facilities while awaiting those test results. Ultimately, the water sample tested negative for the amoeba, and Arlington re-opened its water facilities on September 2.
The EPA testing occurred because Arlington is among a handful of cities that is voluntarily participating in an EPA regional study designed to help advance best practices for splash pad safety this summer. Water samples were collected once in July and once in August.
On September 11, 2021, 3-year-old Bakari Williams died after he was infected with the same rare amoeba while playing at a different splash pad in Arlington.
When the boy’s father, Tariq Williams, heard the news that the public pools and splash pads in Arlington might again contain the deadly amoeba, he said he “lost it” immediately.
“It’s like we’ve been teleported back to that day two years ago,” Williams said.
“Now we’re regurgitating emotions, things that we thought we dealt with but we hadn’t.”
As part of a settlement with the Williams family, Arlington implemented the “Bakari Williams Protocol,” which made significant investments in the installation of health and safety equipment at its public pools and splash pads.
The improvements included automated chemical controllers to set chlorine levels between 2.5 and 5 ppm that automatically shut off splash pads when water readings are not in required ranges, and the addition of a state-of-the-art ultraviolet (UV) system at splash pads.
Parks and Recreation Director James Orloski said that the city was committed to creating the highest standards of safety and transparency to reassure visitors about the city’s water safety.
“The policies in the Bakari Williams Protocol reflect the highest industry standards for aquatic facility maintenance and ensure multiple levels of accountability,” Orloski said.
The city stated that after they were notified of the presumptive positive test, they reviewed inspection records at the park and confirmed that chlorination levels “were continuously within established ranges throughout the summer, as measured by the automated water chemistry controllers,” at an average of 3.5 ppm.
