City crews shut down the Freedom Park pool and its adjacent splash pad in Midtown after staff discovered broken glass in the water, a closure officials say was prompted by vandalism. The disruption came after what Tucson Parks and Recreation staff believed was a glass bottle thrown over the gated fence and shattered on the pool deck, sending shards into the basin.
City Aquatics Administrator TJ Johnson described the immediate safety concerns that drove the decision to close both features. "If we allow people to swim in it, knowing that there was glass in it and there's floating shards of glass, they could ingest it or it could go in their eye or they could step on it," Johnson said, outlining the risks to swimmers, families and staff.
A City of Tucson Parks & Recreation sign posted on a chain‑link fence announcing the splash pad is temporarily closed at Freedom Park after broken glass was found in the water.
Because the splash pad and pool share the same water system, the discovery meant both attractions had to be taken offline, affecting many families who use the Midtown facility. Johnson noted the heavy usage the site sees during the warm months: "This is a busy pool and the splash pad's busy, I mean, it's seeing 1,000 people a week." The closure therefore removed a significant recreation option for residents at the start of the summer season.
Officials say the process to remove broken glass and return the pool to service is more complex than simply skimming out shards. "The protocol is to drain the entire pool," Johnson said, explaining that crews must first empty hundreds of thousands of gallons of water before conducting a hands-on inspection of the basin. After draining, crews walk the entire pool floor, using brooms and brushes to locate and remove any glass fragments. "We'll literally walk the pool looking for glass with brooms and brush out whatever we find and get the glass out," Johnson said.
Once staff completes the painstaking search and removes visible debris, the pool must be refilled and the water chemically treated and balanced before reopening. Johnson said the sequence of draining, searching, refilling and rebalancing typically takes four to five days, provided no additional complications arise. That timeframe includes the steps required to ensure chlorine and other chemical levels meet health standards and that the water is safe for public use.
The Freedom Park pool and slide fenced off and partially drained, showing the facility closed while officials address reports of broken glass in the water.
Beyond the direct safety work, Johnson emphasized the broader cost and staffing impacts of such closures. Draining and cleaning a pool requires manpower, chemicals and water — resources that are in demand across the city's aquatics facilities as summer approaches. "It's manpower, it's chemicals, and water is a precious resource, especially in the desert Southwest," he said, noting that crews pulled from other duties to respond to the incident.
This was not the first time city pools have faced interruptions this year due to similar vandalism. Johnson said broken glass was also found at both the Oury and Udall Park pools earlier in the season, forcing temporary shutdowns at those locations as well. The repetition of such incidents has further strained Parks and Recreation crews preparing facilities for the summer season.
In response to the recent discovery at Freedom Park, Johnson urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity promptly. "If you see something going on, call 911 and report it immediately and as soon as you can so we can help slow this down a little bit or stop it," he said, asking community members to help protect public amenities. City officials have also been posting updates online about the status of affected facilities and any changes to reopening plans.
Parks and Recreation issued an update the morning after the closure indicating that the Freedom Park pool was expected to reopen on June 4 and that the splash pad might reopen sooner, with the department promising to provide further updates on its online channels. Earlier messaging from staff suggested the pool could reopen as soon as the weekend after the shutdown, but the official posting set a specific target date for reopening while leaving room for adjustments based on how quickly crews could complete the cleanup and water treatment processes.
Residents seeking information about hours and schedules for city pools and splash pads were directed to the Tucson Parks and Recreation website for the most current listings. In the meantime, the pool and splash pad at Freedom Park remain closed while city crews complete the required draining, inspection, debris removal and water treatment procedures necessary to ensure the facility is safe for public use.