Gregg Segal photographs public swimming pools – The Washington Post

The public pool is a lot of things: It’s a vital sanctuary for those who don’t live in gated communities or belong to private swim clubs. It’s a destination that, for kids, sets the rhythm of summer days until school starts again. And — as I’ve found in visiting pools from Washington, D.C., to Chippewa Falls, Wis., from Villisca, Iowa, to Los Angeles — it’s a great place to get a feel for the character and culture of a community.