The Peter S. Connor Memorial Swimming Pool is a municipal facility administered through the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs. The South Orange Community Pool is located within the Cameron Field complex, across from The Baird, 5 Mead Street. Along with the pool, Cameron Field includes a regulation baseball diamond, tennis courts, a children’s playground and field sports area. The pool is accessible via walking paths from Mead Street, South Orange Avenue, the Duck Pond area and the South Orange Middle School parking lot on North Ridgewood Road.

Swimming Pool Telephone in-season: (973) 755-3276

Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs: (973) 378-7754, ext. 2

Pool Twitter: @SOPool or https://twitter.com/sopool

Email: pool@southorange.org

Membership

The South Orange community pool is restricted to the use of South Orange Residents who live permanently and continually within the Village and are in possession of their current South Orange Recreation and Cultural Affairs Membership (CLICK HERE for information regarding membership purchase). Other programmed use may be approved by the Board of Trustees and/or the Director of the Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs.

Updated 2023 COVID Guidelines
The State Department of Health has updated it's 2023 guidance and in order to comply the Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs will be implementing the following guidelines: 

• Accurate attendance records will be maintained on a daily basis for contact tracing records. 
• The pool facility will close early for 4 home swim meets. The swim meets will be on 7/6, 7/10, 7/13 and 7/19.

As the state updates their guidance we will do so accordingly. We appreciate your understanding and hope our 2023 pool season is another great one!

2023 Dates and Hours of Operation

• 12:00 Noon to 8:00 PM

• Monday through Friday: 12:00-8:00 pm (7:30 closing beginning August 15th)
• Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 am-8:00 pm (7:30 closing beginning August 15th)
• Labor Day Weekend (Saturday, Sunday, Monday): 10:00 am-6:00 pm

Early Bird Swim

Beginning Tuesday, June 27th, the community pool is open 6:15-8:00 am, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) for Early Bird Swim.  A special membership is required for Early Bird Access.  

SO Dolphins Swim Meet Schedule

Please note that the pool will be closed to non-swim team members during the following dates and times:

• Thursday, July 6th from 5pm-8pm
• Monday, July 10th from 5pm-8pm
• Thursday, July 13th from 5pm-8pm
• Wednesday, July 19th from 5pm-8pm

 POOL CLOSING

Thunderstorms

The community pool shall close immediately upon sight of lightning or sound of thunder and remain closed for a minimum of thirty minutes from the last sight of lightning or sounding of thunder. All pool patrons must leave the pool immediately and seek permanent shelter. Patrons are not allowed to stay on the pool grounds during thunderstorms.

Rain Closing

Pool Management reserves the right to close the pool for the entire day or part thereof based on weather conditions.

Other

Any pool not meeting State bacteriological standards shall be closed until such conditions are corrected.

GUEST PRIVILEGES 

Pool privileges are available to guests of South Orange residents. Guests must be accompanied by a resident when using the pool facilities. Guests are allowed every day of the pool season.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED FOR GUEST PASSES.

CHILD CARE I.D. BADGE

A special Recreation I.D. Badge is available to employees hired by South Orange Residents for the care of their children. The employee and terms of employment must meet the following criteria:

• Employment must be on a full time basis (minimum 5 days a week).
• Employee must be 15 years of age or older.
• The employer (resident) must certify that the employee meets the above criteria by completing an “Affidavit for Live-in, Live-out Employees”. 

The fee for the Child Care I.D. Badge is $75.00 for the calendar year. The badge is valid 7 days per week. “Live-out” employees may only access the pool when accompanied by and caring for a minor of the employing family.  

DEEP WATER TEST

Patrons under the age of 16 must pass a Deep Water Test (DWT) to swim in the deep end of the pool (past the lap lanes) and use the Diving Well.  A Deep Water Badge (DWB) will be issued upon successful completion of the DWT. The DWB must be displayed on the patron’s bathing suit at all times. Patrons must not allow others to use their DWB or use another patron’s DWB. Violation of these rules will result in patron having their DWB revoked. A $5 fee may be charged for replacement of a patron’s DWB.

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

• No person shall be allowed in the water when a lifeguard is not present. 
• Diving will be permitted only in the designated diving areas.
• No swimming during electrical storms.  
• Breath holding beyond normal breathing and swimming rhythms is dangerous and prohibited. 
• A fifteen (15) year old member may bring a guest or a sibling who is under eleven (11).  A member must be eleven (11) years of age or older without an adult and may bring a guest who is age eleven (11) or older.
• All bathers, including babies, must wear bathing suits in the pool. 
• Babies must wear approved swim diapers. 
• Children using the wading pool must be attended by an adult.  All persons, including babies, must wear swim suits in both the main and baby pools.  
• Sitting on the pool steps and ladders, or blocking access to same, is not permitted.
• Deck chairs may not be moved from the concrete deck areas. Only one chair per person.
• Bicycles must be kept in the racks provided outside the pool grounds.
• Changing of diapers on the pool deck and grounds is prohibited. Changing areas are provided in the pool house.
• No private swim lessons are permitted, all lessons must be registered through the recreation department. Anyone that provides private instruction may have their membership revoked.
• All persons having a communicable disease, open blisters or cuts, sore or inflamed eyes, ears, nose or mouth infections, excessive sunburn or any type of skin disease will be excluded from the pool area.  No bandages will be allowed in the water. 
• Do not enter the water if you are experiencing or recovering from diarrhea or have had any signs or symptoms of a gastrointestinal (stomach) disease in the past seven days.
• Dressing and undressing shall be done only in the locker rooms.  
• Media devices with sound must have headphones.
• The Village of South Orange, Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs is not responsible for personal property brought into the facility or stored in lockers. 
• All litter, paper and other debris must be placed in designated trash receptacles.  
• U.S. Coast Guard approved floatation vests are permitted in the shallow end of the pool provided responsible adult is in the water with child at all times. No other floatation devices are permitted. 
• No toys, diving rings or diving sticks permitted in the main pool or intermediate pool.

General Prohibitions
 Please……

• No alcoholic beverages will be permitted in the facility.  
• No food or beverages shall be served and/or consumed on pool grounds except in designated areas. 
• No glass containers may be brought within the fenced-in portion of the pool area. 
• No gum chewing within pool area.  
• No smoking inside the facility. 
• No vulgarity, wrestling, rowdiness, running, ball playing, gambling or similar activities affecting the safety or comfort of others will be permitted in the pool, the pool deck, the bathhouse or parking lot.  Such conduct will result in disciplinary action by the management. 
• No animals, except “working” dogs. 
• No blowing of horns, any other unnecessary noise, or loitering will be permitted in the pool area. 
• No water guns are permitted on pool grounds.
• No balls allowed in or near the pools. Ball playing on the green is allowed at the manager’s discretion, when conditions permit.

Main Pool:  Depth 3 ½ feet to 8 feet (excluding the diving well)

• Adult Swims are at the Manager’s discretion based on time of day and bather load.  When conducted, they will be called at the top of the hour and last for 15 minutes. During these periods, the shallow end and lap lanes will be reserved for ADULT SWIM (eighteen years of age and above). In addition children 18 months of age or younger may accompany their parents in the main pool at this time. 
• Lap lanes are reserved for lap swimming at all times. Patrons may not cross lap lanes when in use.
• Use of the deep end of the main pool beyond the lap lanes is restricted to patrons with a Deep Water Badge.
• Patrons are not allowed within the 4 foot area around the main pool denoted by a painted white line except as follows: 
• Red Line – Jumping area (closed at discretion of management)
• Entrance to the water must be made through an approved means only (i.e. steps, ladders, jumping area).

Diving Well: Depth 14 feet

• Use of the Diving Well is restricted to patrons with a Deep Water Badge.
• Use of the 3 meter diving board is restricted to swimmers at least 4 feet tall. 
• Only one person is permitted on a diving board at a time.
• Only one bounce on a board is permitted.
• Do not dive until the previous diver has reached the exit ladder.
• Diving and jumping from the side of a board is not permitted.
• Recreational swimming is not permitted in the diving tank.
• Surface diving and underwater swimming are not allowed in the diving tank.
• Only forward facing diving is allowed (no flips, backward jumping or backward diving).
• No goggles are permitted in the diving well.

Intermediate Pool: Depth 18 inches to 36 inches

• Everyone using the Intermediate Pool must enter and leave the water by way of the steps at the shallow end or the ladders.
• Jumping and diving into the pool are strictly prohibited.

Wading Pool: Depth 6 inches to 18 inches

• Use of the Wading Pool is restricted to small children.
• Supervision of the child is the responsibility of the person(s) bringing the child into the pool area. A parent/caregiver must remain in the vicinity of the wading pool at all times the child is using this area.
• Babies must wear approved swim diapers.

Enforcement of Rules & Regulations

• A copy of these rules and regulations shall be prominently posted at the pool, and they shall be strictly enforced. 
• The Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs, its designated representative, or the Pool Manager, may close or limit the swimming facilities or establish such additional rules and regulations whenever, in the opinion of the aforementioned, such action is deemed necessary or desirable for the protection of the health, safety, or welfare of persons using the facility. 

Penalties for Violation of these Rules and Regulations 

• Any person who violates these rules and regulations shall be subject to immediate ejection from the facility by the Manager or, in his absence, by the Assistant Manager, and his membership shall be subject to revocation or suspension by the Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs.  
• If membership of any person or family is obtained by means of a fraudulent statement, such membership may be cancelled without refund. 
• Destruction of property may result in suspension or revocation of membership without refund.