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Southern Pines Water Park to stay closed for 2020 season

The Dublin-Laurens Recreation Authority says they felt it was impossible to maintain safety guidelines amid the pandemic

DUBLIN, Ga. — Editor's Note: The video in this story is from the park's inaugural 2019 season.

Southern Pines Water Park in Dublin will not be opening for the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.

The Dublin-Laurens County Recreation Authority made the announcement on the park’s Facebook page Thursday.

They say they consulted with state and local officials before concluding they could not safely open for the summer.

“This would have been the beginning of the second season of the water park and we were excited about the many improvements we had worked so hard on such as our new cabanas, equipment, and our capacity for birthday parties,” they wrote.

Recreation authority chairman Jack Walker says he was adamant they open, but felt after hearing all the guidelines and factors going into reopening, that it was irresponsible.

“The bottom line is, it’s impossible to maintain safety in a water park during a pandemic, even when the numbers are declining,” said Walker.

He adds that most water parks in the state have canceled their seasonal operations and there are few privately-owned companies with indoor pools running in a limited capacity.

They are now turning their attention this summer to virtual programs and maintenance projects.

They hope to open in 2021.

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