The City of Great Falls announced on Thursday, July 10, 2025, that the Water Tower Pool will remain closed for the 2025 summer season due to an ongoing shortage of certified lifeguards. Water Tower Pool is at 34th Street and Seventh Avenue South.
A news release says that according to Montana Administrative Rules, certified lifeguards are required to be present and on duty during the operation of any municipally owned or operated swimming pool. The City cannot legally or responsibly open a pool without meeting these staffing requirements. In addition to ensuring compliance with state regulations, lifeguards play a critical role in safety, emergency response, and enforcement of pool rules.
Faced with limited staffing and tough choices, the City said it is prioritizing its available resources to the pools with the highest amount public use. In recent years, Water Tower Pool has consistently had the lowest attendance among the aquatic facilities, which further informed this decision.
The news release says that the city has not been able to staff the Water Tower Pool at the levels required for safe operation. One of the ongoing staffing challenges is the seasonal nature of the job — many lifeguards are high school or college students who are unavailable for the full summer due to early fall school schedules, family vacations, or other commitments.
These mid-season departures of lifeguards make it difficult to maintain consistent, code-compliant coverage throughout the season.
The City of Great Falls is still recruiting lifeguards and encourages anyone interested in working as a lifeguard to apply online. The starting wage is listed at $18.03 per hour. Certification opportunities and training resources are available.
Questions have come up surrounding the idea of having neighborhood pools open for only a few days a week, so the limited number of lifeguards can rotate to whichever pools are open. This arrangement would not be cost effective, according to city officials, as the pools would still have to be maintained on the days of the week that they are closed.
Although the Water Tower Pool is closed, several other aquatic facilities are open - the Water Tower Splash Park, Electric City Water Park, Jaycee Pool, Splash Park, and Scheels Aim High Big Sky's Splash Park and pools are up and running.
If you have questions or suggestions about this issue, you can contact the Park & Recreation Department at 406-771-1265.
Click here to visit the aquatics website.
