Water Tower Pool will remain closed for the summer due to an ongoing lifeguard shortage.

The pool has been closed since the city opened its other pools in June due to the lack of certified lifeguards, but the splash pad has and will remain open for the summer, according to the Park and Recreation Department.

“We understand this news may be disappointing to families and residents who value access to this neighborhood facility. However, safety remains our highest priority,” according to the city.

State law requires certified lifeguards on duty during the operation of any municipally owned or operated swimming pool.

Jaycee Pool opens June 16; Water Tower Pool not opening due to staffing shortage

In a release, city officials said they have attempted to recruit and train lifeguards, but haven’t been able to staff Water Tower Pool at the level required for safe operation.

“One of the ongoing staffing challenges is the seasonal nature of our workforce—many lifeguards are high school or college students who are unavailable for the full summer due to early fall school schedules, family vacations, or other commitments. These mid-season departures of lifeguards make it difficult to maintain consistent, code-compliant coverage throughout the season,” according to the city.

With limited staffing, the city has prioritized available resources to the most used pools and in recent years, Water Tower had the lowest attendance of the city’s aquatic facilities, according to a release.

City officials said the shortage is not unique to Great Falls and is occuring nationwide.

The city is still actively recruiting lifeguards and offering certification opportunities and training resources. Anyone interested can apply here.

Park and Rec staff said that it wouldn’t be cost effective to have neighborhood pools open only a few days a week and have lifeguards rotate between withever pools are open since the pools would still have to be maintained on days they’re closed.

The city’s other aquatic facilities remain open:

• Electric City Water Park
• Jaycee Pool and Splash Park
• Scheels Aim High Big Sky, plus its outdoor splash pad

“We continue to focus our resources on operating our aquatic facilities safely and at the highest standard possible. We appreciate the community’s understanding and support as we work to rebuild our aquatics workforce and restore full service in future seasons,” the city said in a release.

It’s not the first summer that the city has experienced a lifeguard shortage.

Electric City Water Park closed June 7 due to lack of lifeguards

In 2023, the Electric City Water Park closed for a day due to a lifeguard staffing shortage.

Water Tower, Jaycee pools close for season Aug. 4 due to lifeguard shortage

In 2019, both the Water Tower and Jaycee pools closed early for the season due to a lifeguard shortage.