An outdoor swimming pool in Essex has become contaminated with asbestos and its opening this season may be delayed while cleaning is carried out.
The Health and Safecty Executive is to investigate how asbestos settled at the bottom of the pool. It is believed to have come through water circulation pipework which may have been damaged during maintenance work last October. A thorough investigation of the pipework will be carried out once the water and asbestos have been removed.
As soon as the asbestos appeared in the pool immediate measures were taken to restrict access to the outside area. The outdoor pool’s water filtration is completely seperate to the indoor pool’s but as a precaution water samples have been tested and found to be safe.
A spokesman said “We have identified the most effective way of disposing of the material safely”.