While the new Whitby, Ont. The spa’s pools are closed until at least next Friday, the spa says it expects to “return to full operations imminently.”
After its opening day on October 6, Thermëa Spa Village was forced to close its pools just over a week later, after Durham Public Health discovered a possible “health hazard” in the saltwater pool at Källa. Subsequently, the CEO of the spa, Martin Paquette, confirmed that pseudomonas and staphylococci (staphylococci) were discovered during the sanitary inspection.
Since then, dozens of guests have turned up to share their stories about the painful rashes and ear infections they say they contracted after their visit.
On Friday, the spa posted on its social media pages that its team has been “hard at work” to implement the changes outlined in its internal audit.
The internal audit was released on November 2, which was shared publicly as part of the spa’s “commitment to transparency,” and claims there were three factors that contributed to the contamination.
This included a malfunction of the pool’s ultraviolet (UV) sanitizing system and a broken valve in the pool’s bromine erosion system.
In the audit, Groupe Nordik said it would introduce numerous safety protocols, including installing two chlorine disinfection systems, setting off an alarm on the UV disinfection system, and doubling the salt content in the Källa pool.
“After extensive testing by our entire audit team, we conclude with 100% certainty that, over time, we will be able to reopen the Källa Pool and offer a safe experience for all our guests,” read the 2 audit. of November.
As of Friday, the spa revealed that the pools will remain closed until at least next Friday so they can continue to deliver on their audit promises.
“We will continue to work closely with public officials and hope the pools will be open in no time,” the Instagram post read.
“As creators of wellness, we remain committed to the health and safety of all who use our facilities. We expect Thermëa spa to return to full operations imminently.”
72 GUESTS DEMANDING THE SPA
Earlier this week, the spa received a statement of claim. In it, 72 plaintiffs seek to sue 11 different defendants, including Groupe Nordik, for $5 million in total damages.
The plaintiffs allege that the spa’s pool facilities, particularly the saltwater pool, were not ready on opening day on October 6 and that the company did not act quickly enough to close the pools following numerous reports of diseases.
The group also alleges that the spa “negligently failed to disclose this information to clients and, in fact, withheld such information from them to their detriment.”
A Groupe Nordik spokesperson previously told CTV News Toronto that it is committed to full transparency with both the public and its guests.
“While we deny the allegations in the claim against Thermëa spa village in Whitby, we intend to participate fully in the litigation process.”