Thermea Spa Village, which recently had to close some facilities due to a health hazard, reopened its outdoor pools yesterday.

The spa in Whitby only just opened to the public on Oct. 6, years after it was initially announced.

Less than two weeks later, the pools were shut down "in an abundance of caution" after an inspection by Durham Public Health found pseudomonas and staphylococcus bacteria in Källa, the facility’s underground saltwater pool.

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More than two dozen guests reported that they had contracted some form of staph infection from exposure to the contaminated pool. 

Thermea is now facing a $5-million lawsuit involving 72 plaintiffs, who are alleging they've suffered adverse health effects including severe skin rashes, ear infections, and loss of hearing.

According to their website, "Since then, our team has been working to implement new safety protocols that exceed anything required by health bodies provincially, and across North America. Durham Public Health has since performed new tests and gave us clearance for Dec. 1st."

While all eight of the outdoor pools are open, the Källa pool will remain closed amid ongoing tests and system upgrades to "ensure this will never happen again."

An internal audit found that the cause of the problem was due to malfunctioning parts on their disinfectant and UV systems.

Moving forward, Thermea will also be converting the infected pool to a chlorine-based sanitizing system instead of bromine, which was having difficulty dissolving and counteracting the bacteria due to the pool's high salt concentration.

The spa will continue to post updates on their website and social media pages regarding the Källa pool's status. 

"Thank you for your patience as we introduce an unprecedented level of safety for pools in North America. As a wellness creator, we remain committed to the health and safety of everyone who uses our facilities."