Centennial Park Aquatic Center in Orland Park, Illinois, closed due to E. coli infections

The Centennial Park Aquatic Center in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park has been closed to the public after two recent cases of E. coli infection.

The aquatic center, at 15600 West Ave. in Orland Park, closed its gates this weekend only a week after opening for the summer.

Officials said the closure and testing are strictly precautionary. The water was being tested Sunday, while some people coming by hoping to enjoy the pool were surprised to find it closed and emptied.

"They should be through there quickly, because it's summertime coming up, and the kids need to get outdoors," said Orland Park resident Henry Sarkodee-Adoo.

Water sampling at the aquatic center has consistently shown nothing out of the ordinary, the Village of Orland Park said. However, there have been two confirmed E. coli infections, and they have been linked preliminarily to the aquatic center with its outdoor swimming pool facilities.

"At this time, it has not been determined that any E. coli infections originated at the Centennial Park Aquatic Center," The Village of Orland Park said.

The village said while the facility is closed, staff are deep-cleaning "all pools, decks, restrooms, and high-touch areas."

E. coli is found in the intestines of people and warm-blooded animals. Most strains are harmless, but those infected with the toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, and most recover without treatment after five to seven days.

Elevated E. coli counts can be the result of heavy rainfall, contamination by swimmers, and wildlife waste entering the water, the Village of Orland Park said.

Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago, said a precautionary closure is the responsible public health action.

"Most people don't link a pool visit like five days ago to how they feel today," Wallace said. "So just keep that in mind — if you were at this pool, that you should keep monitoring for symptoms up to 10 days."

The most recent E. coli data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dates back to a five-year period from 2015 through 2019, when E. coli was not among the top confirmed bacteria in treated water.

Dr. Wallace said that makes the potential cases in Orland Park relatively uncommon.

"What's more maybe plausible is that the pool could be just a common exposure location, without the pool itself being the definite source of the infection — so like food, or contact, et cetera," she said.

The aquatic center will be closed both Sunday and Monday while officials investigate and continue testing.