
The popular Water Mine at Lake Fairfax in Reston is officially closed for the season after its pool filtration system failed.
The closure at the Water Mine Family Swimming’ Hole was announced yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon by the Fairfax County Park Authority, which cited “mechanical failures beyond our control.”
The closure includes this coming Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-4) and an event for dogs scheduled for Sept. 10 is also cancelled.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you next season,” FCPA wrote in a statement.
An FCPA spokesperson told FFXnow that the park authority was aware before the summer season began that The Water Mine’s 25-year-old filtration system was in need of replacement. The agency has started to plan that project with the goal of implementing it before the facility reopens in 2023.
“However, based on the information we had prior to opening this season, we made the decision to open this very popular facility for the public until this recent mechanical failure made it impossible to continue to stay open,” the park authority said.
The emergency closure comes just two weeks after staff shortages forced the water park to operate with reduced hours. It was closed from Aug. 15 through 20 due to a lifeguard and staff shortage.
Its last day is typically the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Per the park authority, The Water Mine admitted 3,358 people over Labor Day weekend in 2021, equaling $50,000 in revenue. It had sold 347 advance tickets for the weekend this year.
The park authority confirmed that those pre-sale tickets will be refunded.
Despite the mechanical and staffing challenges, the FCPA says the facility “had a great season, serving thousands of families throughout the summer.” Starting with Memorial Day weekend on May 28, the 2022 summer season drew a total of 87,000 visitors.
Angela Woolsey contributed to this report. Screenshot via Fairfax County Park Authority/YouTube
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