The Barry-Eaton District Health Department conducts routine inspections and monitors the water sampling and facility monitoring of 76 (as of January 2005) public swimming pools and spas throughout both counties. Public pools consist of schools, hospitals, hotels, apartment complexes, campgrounds, fitness centers and condominium and neighborhood association pools. Outdoor pools must have a pre-opening inspection, as well as one operational inspection during their season, while indoor pools are inspected twice throughout the year.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Public Swimming Pool Rules, Act 368, PA 1978 as amended governs public swimming pools. The MDEQ is the licensing agency, while the local health departments are the regulators of the rules. A copy of the Swimming Pool Rules can be found here on the DEQ Public Swimming Pool web site.

2001 Rule Amendment Highlights

The Public Swimming Pool Rules were amended in 2001, with several changes that are affecting pool operators. Here is a list of the main changes:

Lifeguards on duty – A certified lifeguard is required to be on duty during all hours of operation for a pool where any of the following applies: the pool is owned by a government or government subdivision agency, public corporation, or school; a diving board is provided; or where the total water surface area within the pool enclosure is greater than 2,400 square feet. For schools, this means that a lifeguard must be on duty at all times during swim classes, recreational swim, swim team practices, and swim meets.

Safety Equipment – All spineboards must have runners, three ties, and a permanent, adjustable head immobilizer. First aid kits must be upgraded to a 24-unit kit. A blood spill kit is now required for all pools and must contain antimicrobial wipes and disposable gloves, at a minimum. A sign must be posted at the emergency telephone stating that the phone is for emergency use only, the name and address of the pool, and directions for how to dial EMS, such as direct-dial to 911 or if you need to get an outside line.

Marking of steps, floors, and ledges – All areas of slope change in a pool less than six foot deep, such as the edges of steps, any protruding ledges, and all bottom slope changes or drop-offs must now be marked in a contrasting color. The marking must be 1 – 2 inches wide across the bottom and up the sides at the slope changes. This includes marking the edges of all steps in a pool or spa. Any underwater seating must also have its edge marked and "underwater seating" must be marked on the deck.

Single main drains – All pools and spas must have two main drains. Those with only a single main drain will not be allowed to operate.

Starting Platforms – Starting platforms can only be installed where the water depth is a minimum of 60 inches for existing pools, and they must be able to be removed when not in use.

Chemical levels – The minimum disinfectant residuals are now as follows:

The maximum level of cyanuric acid (stabilizer) has been changed from 100 ppm to 80 ppm.

Contingency Plans – All pools are required to have a written contingency and emergency response plan for their pool that outlines the following: a program for rapid mitigation of contamination or water quality deterioration, rescues and submersions, equipment failures, injuries, and other conditions that may create a hazard at the pool. Each plan must be specific for the pool and shall be made available for review. A sample plan can be viewed here. It is recommended that a copy be kept both at the pool and with the facility manager.

Pool Operator Responsibilities

The Pool Code states that "a swimming pool owner shall ensure that a qualified person who is responsible for testing the water and for operating the water treatment equipment of a swimming pool is readily available when the pool is open for use." Readily available is defined as a person who is in the pool enclosure or on the property, or who is on-call within 15 minutes of travel time to the pool. The qualified person must be familiar with the pool operation and who is authorized by the owner to operate the mechanical equipment, test the water, and close the pool when necessary.

The pool operator is responsible for making sure the pool or spa meets all of the Code requirements, including making sure the pool is structurally sound, has the proper safety equipment, and has the proper disinfectant residual levels.

Every pool must collect water samples at least every other week for routine bacteriological analysis. These samples must be taken to an approved lab and a copy of the results sent to this department for review. If a sample comes back positive for coliform bacteria, the pool must resample immediately. If a sample comes back positive for E. coli or a follow-up sample also comes back positive for coliforms, then the pool must close until satisfactory samples are received.

All pools must keep monthly operation reports. These are reports of your daily testing of the pool chemical levels and a log of what happened at the pool during that month. Copies of these reports are to be submitted to the local health department at the end of each month. Be sure to also keep a copy at your facility.

Operators of seasonal outdoor pools must contact the Health Department to schedule a pre-opening inspection prior to opening for the season. This inspection can only occur once the operator has made sure the pool is ready for operation and satisfactory water samples have been received.

In the Swim is our annual newsletter that is sent out to all licensed public swimming pools. Click below to review previous newsletters.

What is a Certified Pool Operator (CPO)? A CPO is a person who has attended and completed a two-day training program put on by the National Swimming Pool Foundation. Upon completion of the course, a certificate is received that is valid for five years. This is a nationally recognized course that can provide commercial pool owners the assurance that their pool is being run by a qualified operator. This course is highly recommended for all pool operators, pool managers, and facility engineers and will benefit everyone who works with your pool. Topics to be covered include: filtration, pool circulation, chemical balancing, maintenance, pool management, disease and accident prevention, pool water testing and more.

The following companies offer CPO classes in mid-Michigan every spring and fall and may be contacted to find out when the next available classes are scheduled for: