Covid 19 Bannockburn FAQs:
Updated July 10, 2020
The following FAQ’s were developed to help respond to questions that are coming up related to our pool operations in 2020. We are in unprecedented times and the situation and our response to Covid 19 is very fluid. These FAQs are subject to change based on regulations issued by Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) and/or decisions made by the Bannockburn Pool Board of Directors on facility usage and limitations.
Reservations system FAQs
When does the reservation system open?
The reservations open every night at precisely midnight, two days before. So at 12:00 am on Friday morning, reservations will open for all the Sunday reservation times and so on.
What is our reservation limit again?
No more than three during the week (Monday – Friday) and no more than one on the weekend (Saturday & Sunday).
What do you consider as a week when counting the reservation allotments?
The weekends and weekdays are counted separately where you are allowed 3 reservations Monday through Friday and only one reservation for Saturday and Sunday.
I am still having a hard finding openings to make a reservation. Any tips?
Get on the system early, between midnight and 7 am! Also, we encourage you to check the reservations website often as there sometimes people cancel their spots, including at the last minute. The pool is also cancelling reservations when we discover members have exceeded their limit.
I made reservation for my whole family and one of us can’t come. Can I cancel for just one of us?
Yes, the reservation system now allows you to cancel for specific family members without cancelling the whole reservation.
How do I cancel a reservation?
Go into your membership tab here, click on “my reservations” box on the far right. Open the reservation and hit cancel.
What happens when there is inclement weather and the pool closes? Does it count towards my weekly reservation limit?
If less than 1 hour and 15 minutes of a session has passed when the pool is closed due to inclement weather, the reservation will not count towards your weekly allotment. Anything over 1 hour 15 minutes into the reservation time, regardless of when you arrived, will count towards your reservation limit.
If I notice a reservation slot is not full, can I come to the pool as a walk up? Does that count towards the reservation limit?
Yes, you can call or come to the pool if the reservation slot is not full. This does NOT count towards your weekly reservation limit. Please note, entry is not guaranteed. Once we meet the total 60 number including reservations and walk-ups we will not let anyone else in.
There are some members in my family who aren’t coming to the pool. Can they give their reservation slots to other family members?
No, the four reservation limit within the week is PER family member.
I won’t be able to come to the pool for my reservation. Can I give it to another family who are members?
Yes, but only if you cancel in the reservation system and then they pick it up and reserve themselves. We suggest you coordinate the time doing this.
We will have family visiting. Can they come as our guests on an exceptional basis?
No, unfortunately due to Covid restrictions we cannot allow any guests into our pool.
What are you doing for members who are going over their reservation limits? It’s not fair to those of us following the rules.
We are closely auditing member reservation amounts. If we see a member has exceeded their limit, they will get a warning message and are instructed to cancel a reservation exceeding their limit. If they don’t do this, we will cancel the excess reservation. If a member goes over the reservation limit more than two times, we will freeze their account for a minimum of one week and possibly for the rest of the season.
I will be out of town for 3 weeks. Can a neighbor who is not a member use my reservation slots?
No. If we discover that someone is posing as a member and using their name in order to access the pool, we will take steps to terminate their membership immediately.
Lap Lane FAQs
Does early bird lap swimming count towards my reservation limit?
No, this is free swim and doesn’t count towards the reservation limit.
Is there early bird lap swimming reservation limits?
Yes. Each lap swimmer is allowed to sign up for no more than six separate 30 minutes slot. If a member signs up for two back to back 30 minutes slots, it counts as 2 reservations.
I see early bird lap swimming is in 30 minute reservation blocks. Can I make 3 lap lane reservations per day?
No, early bird lap lane reservations are in high demand. We ask that you limit your daily early bird lap lane swimming to no more than 2 per day.
Can I reserve a lap lane during open rec swim?
No, but we do ask lap lane swimmers to sign the white board near the pool with their name and time and to limit their lap swimming to 30 minutes if another swimmer is waiting to use the lane. This is an honor system and first come, first serve.
Other FAQs
How many will be allowed in the pool at any given time?
Based on MCHHS directives, it’s likely that initially we will only allow a maximum of 60 members at any given time to limit crowding and allow for maximum social distancing in the pool and on deck. We hope to expand this if and when MCHHS gives us the green light.
What will be the pool hours in 2020?
Since we are limiting capacity, we will extend the operating hours to 6:00 am – 8:30 pm daily, weather and daylight permitting.
Can we bring guests?
Not initially. When Bannockburn opens this season, only members will be allowed to use the pool initially. However, we’ll continue to revisit this decision as the season progresses in the hopes of relaxing this restriction.
Will the locker rooms and restrooms be open?
We plan to only have bathrooms open for use. We ask that members change and shower at home before and after their visit to the pool. Per the Maryland Department of Health, Bannockburn pool will maintain a supply of cleaning supplies for use.
Where can I find more information about our new reservation system and instructions?
Under the Summer 2020 tab on this website.
Can I just show up to swim as I’ve always done?
No, initially we’ll ask for all members to reserve time slots in advance to use the pool. However, if you notice that a time slot is not full you are welcome to come to the pool as a “walk up”. Being a walk up does not count towards your reservation limit.
Will you still offer early bird swim?
Yes, and we ask our lap swimmers to use our reservation system to reserve a lap lane. At this time, we are planning on having dedicated lap swimming every morning by reservation only from 6:00am to about 9am.
Will all the pools be available?
No, the baby pool will not be open initially. The other pools will be open.
Can my child come to the pool unaccompanied?
Because of Covid-19, we require children under the age of 8 to be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age.
Can I still use the grill area?
Yes. The grill area will be open as of Saturday June 27
How will the facilities be cleaned?
There will be a period of time in between reservation slots for cleaning before the next set of members arrives. We will depend on our members to clean the furniture they intend to use when they arrive at the pool and again, when they leave. We will provide cleaning supplies for the furniture and ask that members NOT use any bleach on any of our new furniture. We plan to disinfect frequently touched surfaces and the bathhouse every few hours and clean floors, toilets and sinks with soap and water daily. Every night we will have professional cleaners cleaning the interior bathhouse space in both the mens’ and womens’ restrooms and other high touch areas.
Will members need to wear masks and practice physical distancing?
Staff and patrons will be required to wear face coverings when outside of the water whenever possible. This is especially important when walking around the deck and going to the restroom. Members can keep masks on while sitting down or choose to remove them as long as they are practicing social distancing from other pool members.
How safe will it be to swim at Bannockburn this summer?
Our pool management company along with our volunteer Board of Directors has developed policies, procedures and protocols that are aligned with State and County directives. We will absolutely attempt to maintain as safe an experience as possible for all our members. However, given the nature of an outdoor pool environment high-risk individuals and all members alike will need to make their own decision about coming to the pool at their own risk.
Will there be seating at the pool?
We expect limitations on use of poolside furniture and have come up with a plan to enable clusters of members to ensure they are socially distanced at a minimum of 6ft apart. This will be first come, first serve.
Will there be water basketball?
No, this will not be set up for play; also any beach balls or objects usually thrown/played with in the pool will not be allowed.
What about swim and dive teams?
Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL) and Montgomery County Dive League (MCDL) recently announced the cancellation of their seasons. Bannockburn Swim Team will have programming beginning Monday June 29. Check the swim team page of this website.
Will you still be offering senior water aerobics?
Yes, Tuesdays and Thursdays starting July 2nd.
What about our Bannockburn social events?
Unfortunately, we will not be able to have our usual social events but stay tuned for possible virtual gatherings.
Will the food trucks continue to operate at the pool when we open?
Yes and they would love your business so please consider purchasing from them instead of bringing in your own food or food from other vendors. Check the calendar here for the food truck schedule. There is an average of four trucks per week providing food for purchase.
Will there be a Lost and Found?
No, there will be no Lost and Found. All left items will be removed when the pool closes at the end of the day.
Can I still celebrate my child’s birthday at the pool?
No, party reservations including external guests will not be available at this time.
Will you still be offering swim lessons?
Yes, but these are not learn to swim lessons but rather stroke coaching. Here is more information and a sign up.
Will you refund or discount our dues for the 2020 season?
No, as members of this club, we all have a financial obligation to cover the maintenance and facility costs of the pool each year. We still have to pay for insurance, mortgage, utilities, repairs, as well as manage, maintain, and secure the pools and grounds. We, as Bannockburn Members, must pay these expenses whether the pool is used or not.
Since we will be opening, it is very possible that even though we will have a shorter season, we still may incur the same or higher costs as regular seasons due to increased cleaning, longer daily operating hours and additional staffing expenses.
Since we have opened late, can we stay open later in September?
Maybe. We are discussing extending our season but it is too early to tell at this stage.
Will we be able to access Mohican pool when we close as we’ve done in the past?
No, unfortunately pre-Covid that arrangement ceased. Mohican’s membership has grown and they could no longer accommodate our members at their pool.
Anything else about member responsibilities?
Glad you asked! As we navigate a season that looks quite different from past years, we will ask that members make the Bannockburn Pledge (here) to keep ourselves and our wider community safe.
When and how can we expect to hear updates?
Please check this page and our email updates for the latest information.
Last updated: 07/10/2020