Whitby spa provides update on its pools after contamination lawsuit

An image of Thermea Spa Village in Whitby, Ont. (Thermea spa village Whitby/Facebook)

While the new Whitby, Ont. spa’s pools are closed until at least next Friday, the spa says it looks forward to “returning to full operations imminently.”

After its opening day on Oct. 6, Thermëa Spa Village was forced to shut its pools just over a week later, following Durham Public Health’s discovery of a potential “health hazard” in the Källa saltwater pool. It was later confirmed by the spa’s CEO, Martin Paquette, that pseudomonas and staphylococcus (staph) were discovered during the health inspection.

Dozens of guests have since come forward sharing their stories of the painful rashes and ear infections they say they’ve contracted after their visit.

On Friday, the spa posted on its social media pages to say its team has been “working hard” to implement changes outlined in their internal audit.

The internal audit was published on Nov. 2 – which was shared publicly as part of the spa’s “commitment to transparency” – and it claims there were three contributing factors that led to the contamination.

This included a malfunction with the pool’s ultraviolet (UV) disinfectant system and a broken valve in the pool’s bromine erosion system.

In the audit, Groupe Nordik said it would introduce numerous safety protocols, including installing two chlorine sanitization systems, inputting an alarm on the UV disinfectant system, and doubling the salt content in the Källa pool.

“After extensive testing by our entire audit team, we conclude with 100% certainty that we will, in time, be able to reopen the Källa pool and offer a safe experience for all of our guests,” the Nov. 2 audit reads.

As of Friday, the spa revealed the pools will stay closed until at least next Friday so they can continue to fulfill its audit's promises.

“We will continue to work closely with public officials and expect the pools to be open in short order,” the Instagram post reads.

“As a wellness creator, we remain committed to the health and safety of everyone who uses our facilities. We look forward to Thermëa spa village returning to full operations imminently.”

72 GUESTS SUING THE SPA

Earlier this week, the spa was served with a statement of claim. In it, 72 plaintiffs are seeking to sue 11 various defendants – including Groupe Nordik – for $5 million in total damages.

The plaintiffs allege the spa’s pool facilities – particularly the saltwater pool – were not ready by opening day on Oct. 6, and that the company did not act fast enough in closing the pools down following the numerous reports of illness.

The group is also alleging the spa "negligently failed to disclose this information to patrons and in fact, withheld said information from them to their detriment."

A spokesperson for Groupe Nordik previously told CTV News Toronto it is committed to complete transparency with both the public and its guests.

“While we deny the allegations in the claim against Thermëa spa village in Whitby, we intend to fully participate in the litigation process.”