LEWISTON – The city has closed down a Lisbon Street motel’s indoor pool and hot tub because of health and safety concerns.

Lewiston’s planning and code enforcement director and a state health inspector toured the Roadway Inn’s pool area Thursday after getting a complaint from a family that had used the pool for a teenager’s birthday party last week. Among its complaints, the family said the pool area was dirty and the water was cold and lacked chlorine, which is used to kill bacteria.

The Roadway Inn is formerly known as the Chalet Motel.

Inspectors found no chlorine in the pool, although there was some in the hot tub, an official with the state’s health inspection program said. Inspectors also found no pole or shepherd’s hook to rescue drowning swimmers, and the flotation ring that was there was worn and had no rope attached. There was no sign requesting swimmers to shower before using the pool and the bottom of the pool needed to be cleaned.

Inspectors also found no one at the motel was certified as a pool operator as required.

The pool and hot tub were shut down until the motel’s owners fix the problems and someone is certified to operate the pool. The city will re-inspect the area before allowing it to reopen.

Roadway Inn Assistant Manager Keisha Barot said the motel’s owner, who bought the property last year, didn’t realize the pool operator had to be certified. The motel is now working to fix the problems and is planning to get someone trained and certified to deal with the pool.

“We want to make sure everything is up to standard,” she said.

The motel hopes to be able to reopen the pool and hot tub soon.

Motel pools are not licensed by the state, but they are inspected during the process for the facility’s overall license.