Children in Amstelveen can cool off in local paddling pools again this week following safety checks by environmental inspectors.
The municipality usually fills the public pools whenever temperatures are forecast to reach at least 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit).
With warm weather on the way, municipal workers have prepped six outdoor sites that had been temporarily taken out of service.
New national water standards
Under the Netherlands’ recent Environment and Planning Act, public paddling pools must now meet strict national swimming pool standards.
These rules require permanent purification systems fitted with circulating water mechanisms, filters, and automated chlorination.
Six of the seven outdoor paddling pools in Amstelveen currently lack these upgraded systems.
Local officials plan to install permanent treatment units, but the project is delayed because the municipality has not yet hired a contractor for the upgrades.
Extra testing clears pools
To keep the pools open safely in the meantime, staff are manually chlorinating and scrubbing the basins more frequently.
The regional environmental service, Omgevingsdienst Noord-Zeekanaalgebied, approved the openings after water samples passed quality tests.
Amstelveen had requested a temporary exemption to use cyanuric acid, a stabilizing chemical no longer permitted under the updated rules.
That request was turned down because the municipality had not yet awarded the contract for permanent treatment hardware.
Comparison with Amsterdam rules
By contrast, neighboring Gemeente Amsterdam secured an exemption allowing it to use cyanuric acid until 2029.
Amsterdam qualified for the grace period because it had already finalized orders for its official pool filtration upgrades.
To support families during the shutdown, Amstelveen offered free admission for children aged four and under at De Meerkamp swimming pool.
City officials confirmed that this free indoor swimming promotion will remain in place through Sunday, August 16, despite the outdoor pools reopening.
