Public Swimming Pools

A public swimming pool is defined as any structure, chamber, or tank containing an artificial body of water used by the public for swimming, diving, wading, recreation, or therapy, together with buildings, appurtenances, and equipment used in connection with the body of water, regardless of whether a fee is charged for its use. The term includes municipal, school, hotel, motel, apartment, boarding house, athletic club, or other membership facility pools and spas, and artificial swimming lagoons.

Public swimming pools do not include private pools serving a single family dwelling and used only by the residents of the dwelling and their guests, therapeutic pools used in physical therapy programs operated by medical facilities licensed by the Department or operated by a licensed physical therapist, or therapeutic chambers drained, cleaned, and refilled after each individual use.

The requirements for pool operator training are contained in 15A NCAC 18A Section.2537(c). This regulation states:

"The owner of a public swimming pool shall provide for the operation of the pool by a person or persons who shall be responsible to the owner for operation, maintenance, pool safety and recordkeeping. The pool owner shall maintain documentation that the person responsible for operating the pool has been trained on pool equipment operation, disease and injury prevention, pool water chemistry and regulatory requirements for public swimming pools. A pool and spa operator certificate issued by the National Swimming Pool Foundation or other organization which provides training on those subjects shall be accepted as meeting this requirement."

An artificial swimming lagoon means any body of water used for recreational purposes with more than 20,000 square feet of surface area, an artificial liner, and a method of disinfectant that results in a disinfectant residual in the swimming zone that is protective of the public health.