Wanganui East pool will not open for the summer season until staff have achieved the necessary lifeguard accreditation.
That has been spelled out by both the trust operating the pool and the Wanganui District Council.
The Wanganui East Pool Trust has the contract with the council to manage the suburban complex and a pre-requisite is that, without sufficient qualified staff, the pool must not open.
Trust chairman John Rhodes said it was the trust that gained accreditation under ACC's PoolSafe scheme and not the staff.
Mr Rhodes said ACC PoolSafe was a non-mandatory industry standard, which included an assessment mechanism.
"The trust is working towards this but can't be accredited until we have the assessment. This depends on the availability of an assessor," he said. However, he said certification of the pool staff was one of the items required under the PoolSafe scheme.
Council deputy property manager Greg Morris said the council was aware of the present status of the staff.
"The trust has one fully qualified staff member, one needing revalidation, and the remainder are nearing completion of their training and assessment prior to opening of the pool," Mr Morris said.
"It's a requirement of the contract and the position of the trust that means if it does not have sufficient qualified staff it will not open the pool."
Mr Morris said the contract for operating the pool made it clear the pool trust was responsible for ensuring staff had the required certificates "and that we've made it a requirement of opening that this is the case".
"We're in regular communication with the trust, so it's clearly evident that we are taking all reasonable steps, as the owner of the facility, to ensure that the pool is operated safely. We're confident we are managing our potential liability, if any, in an appropriate manner," Mr Morris said.
Last weekend the trust announced that it had achieved its fundraising target of $12,000, which would guarantee free swims for all primary and intermediate age children in the city this season.