Governing Lodging Establishments

Requirements for Operating a Lodging Establishment: Swimming Pools/Spas

Design, maintenance and operation of swimming pools, spas, and other bathing facilities shall be in accordance with the following requirements:

1. New swimming pools and swimming pools undergoing a major renovation, such as installing a diving board or slide, shall be designed by a professional engineer and certified by a professional engineer, architect or other qualified professional approved by the administrative authority. The design must comply with a national swimming pool code;
2. Requirements regarding the general safety of swimming pools are as follows:
   1. Swimming pools shall be protected by a fence, wall, building or other enclosure that is at least four feet (4') in height. The enclosure shall be made of a durable material. Artificial barriers shall be constructed so as to afford no external handholds, footholds, or opening large enough to pass a four inch (4") diameter sphere through. Existing installations may continue to be used upon approval of the administrative authority;
   2. Gates shall be equipped with a self-closing and positive self-latching closure mechanism. The latch shall be installed as high as possible, but no greater than four feet (4'), to preclude access of a toddler;
   3. Doors leading into an indoor pool area shall be installed with self-closing and positive self-latching closure mechanism(s). The closure mechanism shall be installed as high as possible, but no lower than four feet (4') in height. Other means of precluding the access of a toddler into the indoor pool area must be approved by the administrative authority;
   4. All natural barriers, hedges, swimming pool covers, or other protective devices must be approved by the administrative authority;
   5. Depth of water shall be plainly marked with four inch (4")-high numbers, of a contrasting color to the pool background color, at or above the water surface on the vertical pool wall and on the edge of the deck, at maximum and minimum points of break between the deep and shallow portions, and at intermediate increments of depth, spaced at not more than twenty-five feet (25') intervals measured peripherally.
      1. Markings shall be on both sides and ends of the swimming pool.
      2. Where depth markings cannot be placed on the vertical walls above the water level, other means shall be used so that the markings will be plainly visible to persons in the swimming pool;
   6. Lifesaving equipment, consisting of both a throwable device and a reaching device, shall be provided for all swimming pools. Swimming pools over two thousand (2,000) square feet and up to four thousand (4,000) square feet of water surface area shall have two (2) throwable and reaching devices. Approval by the administrative authority shall be required for swimming pools in excess of four thousand (4,000) square feet of water surface area.
      1. A throwable device shall be a U.S. Coast Guard approved device, fitted with a one-quarter inch (1/4")-diameter line with a length of 1.5 times the maximum width of the swimming pool or fifty feet (50'), whichever is less and a reaching device shall be a life pole or shepherd’s crook type of pole, having blunted ends with a minimum length of twelve feet (12') or as approved by the administrative authority. This equipment shall:
         1. Be mounted in conspicuous places, distributed around the pool deck;
         2. Be kept in good repair and ready condition; and
         3. Be kept in an established location and shall be used only for its intended purpose;
   7. Whenever the swimming pool area is less than two thousand (2,000) square feet of water surface area and is opened for use and no lifeguard service is provided, warning signs shall be placed in plain view of the entrances and inside the pool area which state “WARNING—NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY” with plainly legible letters;
   8. Swimming pools having two thousand (2,000) square feet of water surface area or greater shall have a certified lifeguard present at all times the pool is available for use. In swimming pools with two thousand (2,000) square feet of water surface area or more, one (1) additional certified lifeguard shall be provided for each additional two thousand (2,000) square feet of water surface area;
   9. A first aid kit must be readily available to lodging employees for pool use at all times. The first aid kit shall be stored in an easily accessible location (such as the front office);
   10. No glass containers shall be used in the swimming pool area;
   11. The swimming pool and pool deck shall be kept clean of sediment, floating debris, visible dirt and algae; free of cracks, peeling paint and tripping hazards. Pools shall be refinished when the pool surface cannot be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition;
   12. Rooms that house a gaseous chlorine introduction system shall be located on the opposite side of the pool from the direction of the prevailing winds and must provide the following features:
       1. A respiratory protective device suitable to provide protection during exposure to chlorine gas. This device shall be housed in and readily accessible;
       2. An airtight duct at a maximum of eight inches (8") above the floor that terminates at a safe point of discharge to the outside away from the pool deck;
       3. A ventilating fan, capable of one (1) air change per minute and operated from a switch located outside the chlorine room door in conjunction with the airtight duct;
       4. A louvered air intake near the ceiling;
       5. Adequate lighting with the light switch located outside the chlorine room, adjacent to the chlorine room door; and
       6. A plastic bottle of ammonia for leak detection; automatic chlorine detectors are recommended;
   13. Chlorine and chlorinating equipment shall be housed in a separate room. This room shall have no openings to other interior openings; and
   14. Chlorine-feeding devices shall be designed to automatically terminate gas feed when the water supply flow is interrupted. The release of chlorine gas shall be terminated when the recirculation pump is shut off;
3. Requirements regarding the water quality of swimming pools and spas are as follows:
   1. Swimming pools and spas shall be designed and maintained to provide for continuous disinfection of the water with a chemical or process which is an effective disinfectant and which imparts an easily measurable, active residual;
   2. The disinfecting materials and methods shall not be dangerous to public health, create objectionable physiological effects, or impart toxic properties to the water;
   3. An easily adjustable, automatic disinfection feeder shall be provided for the continuous application of disinfectant to the pool and/or spa water. The concentration of disinfectant in the pool and/or spa water must be maintained at the following levels:
      1. When chlorine is the disinfectant, a free chlorine residual of at least one part per million (1.0 ppm) shall be maintained throughout the pool. When bromine is the disinfectant, a minimum residual between three and five (3–5) ppm shall be maintained throughout the spa; and
      2. Other disinfecting materials or methods are subject to approval of the administrative authority and may only be used when it has been demonstrated that they provide a satisfactory residual which is easily measured and operated according to the manufacturer’s specifications;
   4. An appropriate test kit shall be provided and capable of properly measuring disinfectant and pH residual;
   5. The pH of the swimming pool and spa water shall be maintained at a level between 7.2 and 7.8; and
   6. Swimming pool water shall have sufficient clarity that the main drain cover is readily visible at the deepest point of the pool when viewed from the side of the pool;
4. Requirements regarding the maintenance and operation of swimming pools and spas are as follows:
   1. A boundary line between the shallow and deep water shall be marked at the point where the swimming pool slope begins, or at the five foot (5') depth, by a line of contrasting color on the floor and walls of the pool, and by a safety rope and floats equipped with float keepers;
   2. Steps, ladders or stairs shall be provided at the shallow end (less than five feet (5') and steps or ladders shall be provided in the deep end (greater than five feet (5'). If the pool is over thirty feet (30') wide, such steps, ladders or stairs shall be installed on each side.
      1. Pool steps, ladders, and stairs shall be easily cleanable, corrosion-resistant and equipped with non-slip treads.
      2. All ladders shall be designed so as to provide a handhold. Where steps or ladders are provided, there shall be a handrail at the top of each side thereof extending over the coping of the edge of the deck. When stairs are provided, there shall be a handrail provided.
      3. Pool steps, ladders, stairs and handrails shall be maintained in good repair at all times;
   3. Daily operating records shall be maintained and be available upon request. The residual concentration of the disinfectant used in the pool and/or spa, pH, water temperature and the date and time the information was collected shall be recorded;
   4. Indoor pool areas and chemical storage rooms shall be vented directly to the exterior or vented to a room that is vented directly to the exterior;
   5. Any chemical applied in swimming pools and/or spas shall be used, handled, stored and labeled in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications;
   6. Main drain grates shall be whole and openings shall not be over one-half inch (1/2") wide. Main drain grates shall be in good repair, firmly affixed at all times and designed and maintained to prevent user entrapment;
   7. All pool and spa equipment shall be kept clean and in good repair at all times;
   8. Diving boards and slides shall be maintained in good repair at all times;
   9. A cleaning system shall be provided to remove dirt from the bottom of the pool;
   10. Surface skimmers, strainer baskets and perimeter overflow systems shall be kept clean and in good repair;
   11. Water shall be maintained at the overflow level; and
   12. Discharged pool water shall conform to the DNR regulations;
5. Requirements regarding the lighting and electrical systems for swimming pools and spas are as follows:
   1. Artificial lighting shall be provided at swimming pools used at night or which do not have adequate natural lighting so that all portions of the pool, including the bottom, are readily seen without glare;
   2. All lighting shall be maintained in good repair at all times;
   3. All receptacles on the property shall be located at least ten feet (10') from the inside walls of a pool. One (1) receptacle to provide power for a recirculating pump motor on permanently installed swimming pools shall be permitted not less than five feet (5') from the inside walls of the pool provided the receptacle is single, of the locking and grounding types and protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter;
   4. All receptacles located within twenty feet (20') of the inside walls of a pool shall be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter;
   5. Switching devices on the property shall be located at least five feet (5') from the inside walls of a pool unless separated from the pool by a solid fence, wall or other permanent barrier; and
   6. Swimming pool areas over which utility-owned, operated and maintained supply lines, service drops, electrical lines and communication lines (i.e., telephone, cable TV) pass shall be approved in writing by the utility company;
6. The recirculation system serving the swimming pool and/or spa shall operate continuously or in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications and/or recommendations or other engineering criteria;
7. Spas shall meet the additional following requirements: Exemption—a spa used under direct supervision of qualified medical personnel is excluded:
   1. The maximum water depth shall be four feet (4') measured from the water line. The maximum depth of any seat or sitting bench shall be two feet (2') measured from the water line;
   2. Water temperature controls shall be provided to prevent water temperatures from exceeding one hundred four degrees Fahrenheit (104°F). The controls shall be accessible only to the swimming pool operator;
   3. Outlets shall be designed so that each pumping system prevents user entrapment;
   4. The agitation system shall be separate from the water treatment recirculation system. The agitation system shall be connected to a timer; and
   5. A legible sign visible from the spa shall be provided. The sign shall contain wording to the effect of:
      1. Caution. Any person having an acute or chronic disease such that use of this spa might adversely affect their health should consult a physician before using this spa;
      2. Do not use the spa alone or without supervision;
      3. Do not use the spa longer than ten (10) minutes;
      4. Children shall be accompanied by an adult; and
      5. Additional precautionary information may be added as deemed necessary by the lodging establishment or manufacturer.