Arlington closes pools, splash pads after test appears positive for brain-eating amoeba

The city of Arlington said Wednesday it is closing all of its public pools and splash pads after a water sample from a splash pad had a presumed positive test for the presence of brain-eating amoeba.

Officials said in a news release the federal Environmental Protection Agency notified the city that a water sample collected almost two weeks ago from the California Lane Park splash pad, 1931 E. California Lane, was “presumed positive for the presence of Naegleria fowleri amoeba.” The EPA was doing tests as part of a partnership with the city for a study on splash pad safety.

Once in July and once in August, the city said it collected water samples from the California Lane Park splash pad and sent them to an EPA lab for testing as part of the study. Officials said the EPA is doing a polymerase chain reaction test, which detects genetic material, to confirm its initial findings.

The city said the timing of the PCR test may be delayed due to the impact from Hurricane Idalia; the EPA lab is located in Gainesville, Florida.

“The City of Arlington is committed to the highest standards of safety and transparency and will keep the community updated regarding the pending test results,” the city’s parks and recreation director James Orloski said in a written statement.

Officials are not aware of any illnesses or hospitalizations linked to its aquatic facilities, according to the release. The city also said its drinking water supply is not affected.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria is a single-celled organism commonly found in warm fresh water like lakes, rivers and hot springs. The CDC says only one of its species affects humans: Naegleria fowleri.

It infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, typically when someone is swimming, diving or placing their heads under fresh water. It travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

According to the CDC, the death rate for the infection is over 97%, but infections are rare. In the U.S., the CDC said a total of 29 infections were reported from 2013 to 2022.

Two years ago, Bakari Williams, a 3-year-old boy, contracted the disease from a splash pad at Arlington’s Don Misenhimer Park and died shortly after his last visit. The CDC confirmed the presence of amoeba in water samples from the splash pad and determined the facility was the likely source of Bakari’s exposure.

The boy’s family received $250,000 from the city as part of a legal settlement last year.

The city also completed improvements to its facilities as part of the settlement and enacted additional safety protocols named after him.

The Bakari Williams Protocol includes standards for minimum chlorine levels for the city’s splash pads and manual water quality testing three times daily among others. Visitors can also scan QR codes at entrances to access current water testing and quality information.

A Travis County person died earlier this month after coming in contact with the ameoba while swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson near Austin, per the Austin American-Statesman.

Arlington city officials said that all of its outdoor public pools have been closed since Sunday, its splash pads have been closed since Tuesday and its indoor pool was closed Wednesday.

All will be closed until further notice, officials said.