SWIMMING POOLS REGULATIONS

SWIMMING POOLS

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 465.02

SWIMMING POOLS REGULATIONS

29th April, 2005

LEGAL NOTICE 129 of 2005, as amended by Legal Notice 135 of 2008.

The title of these regulations is the Swimming Pools

Regulations.

MINIMUM LEVELS FOR MICROBIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

PARAMETER

LIMITS

REMARKS

Heterotrophic <=10 cfu per 100 I f h ig h er co lo n y co u nt s ar e o cca sio n al ly

plate count ml

f o l l o w i n g found, this is acceptable as long as no faecal

(HPC)

incubation at 37ºC c o l i f o r m s a r e p r e s e n t a n d t h e o p e r a t i n g

for 24 h

conditions of the pool are satisfactory.

Teaching and hydrotherapy pools

Faecal

<1 cfu per 100 ml

For disinfected pools

coliform and/or

Non-disinfected pools, hot tubs, whirlpools,

E. coli

spas, teaching and hydrotherapy pools

Faecal

<1 cfu per 100 ml

For disinfected pools

streptococci

Non-disinfected pools, hot tubs, whirlpools,

spas, teaching and hydrotherapy pools

P s e u d o m o n a s <1 cfu per 100ml 1 F o r d i s i n f e c t e d p o o l s , t e a c h i n g a n d

aeruginosa

hydrotherapy pools.

<10 cfu per 100ml 1 Non-disinfected pools, hot tubs, whirlpools

and spas.

Staphylococcus <1 cfu per 100 ml 1 All types of swimming pools

aureus

Legionella

< 1 0 0 0 c f u p e r For whirlpools, spas and any other type of

litre 2

pools as per regulation 4(1)(c)

1 If high counts are found (>100 cfu per 100 ml), pool operators should check water

clarity, disinfectant residuals and pH, resample, backwash thoroughly, wait one turnover and

resample. If high levels of P. aeruginosa and/or Staphylococcus aureus remain, the pool

should be closed and thorough cleaning and disinfection programme initiated.

In the case for non-chlorinated spa pools, draining, cleaning and refilling the pools or,

alternatively, heating water to 70ºC and cooling to normal operating temperature during non-

use periods might be sufficient to control P. aeruginosa (as well as Legionella and

Mycobacterium). These measures could be used when levels of P. aeruginosa exceed 10 per

100 ml.

2 If cfu for Legionella is more than 1,000 and up to 10,000, the sample should be

confirmed by immediate re-sampling. If similar count is found again, a review of the control

measures and risk assessment should be carried out to identify any remedial actions.

If cfu for Legionella is more than 10,000, the system should immediately be re-samples. It

should then be ‘shot dosed’ with an appropriate biocide, as a precaution. The risk assessment

and control measures should be reviewed to identify remedial actions. The pool is to be

immediately closed.

SWIMMING POOLS

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Public Health Act;

"authorised officer" means any duly qualified person authorised

by the competent authority to carry out any functions under the Act

and includes any nominated officer;

"competent authority" means the Superintendent of Public

Health;

"responsible person" means the person responsible for swimming

pool and includes, in his absence, such employee or other person,

being the senior employee or person present, engaged in operating

the swimming pool at the time; such senior employee or person

shall be presumed to be acting on the authority of the person

responsible unless the person responsible produces proof to the

contrary;

"swimming pool" means a public or commercial swimming pool

which shall include any artificial basin intended for recreational

bathing, swimming, diving, or therapeutic purposes which is

located either indoors or outdoors and is provided with controlled

water supply and which is not used or intended to be used as a pool

at a single family residence unless it is used or intended to be used

for commercial or business purposes and shall also include wading

pools, spas, whirlpools, hot tubs, diving pools and special purpose

pools;

"swimming pools" includes conventional pools used or intended

to be used for recreational bathing, swimming and water recreation

activities;

"wading pools" includes pools principally used or intended to be

used for wading and recreational bathing by small children;

"spas" includes whirlpools, hot tubs and pools used for

recreational bathing which are used in conjunction with high

velocity air systems, high velocity water circulation systems, hot

water, cold water, mineral baths or any combination of these items;

"diving pools" includes pools used only for diving or training

and practice of diving techniques; and

"special purpose pools" include pools used exclusively for a

particular purpose, including but not limited to water flumes, pools

for scuba diving instructions, therapeutic pools, hydrotherapy

pools, floatation vessels and pools used in aquatic programmes for

SWIMMING POOLS

handicapped persons.

MINIMUM WATER LEVELS FOR PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS

PARAMETER

LIMITS

REMARKS

pH

7.2 - 7.6 pH

PH value adjustment will generally depend on

whether the disinfectant used is itself alkaline

or acidic. 1

Turbidity

0.5 NTU

Exceedance of turbidity standard suggests

b o t h a s i g n i f i c a n t d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n w at e r

quality and a significant health hazard.

Free chlorine 1 - 3 ppm (mg/l)

Free chlorine residuals above 5 ppm (mg/l) in

swimming pool water may present a health-

based hazard to users.

Combined

N o r m a l m a x . 0 . 5 High levels indicate that there is too much

Chlorine

ppm (mg/l) or less ammonia coming from sweat and urine of

b a t h e r s, i n d i c a t i n g t h a t b a t h i n g l o a d s o r

Absolute max. 1.0

pollution from bathers may be too high or that

ppm (mg/l)

dilution is too low.

Cyanuric acid 3 3 0 p p m ( m g / l ) - I f l e v e l s h i g h e r t h a n 1 0 0 p p m ( m g / l ) ,

max. approx. 60 microbiological conditions may become

ppm (mg/l)

unsatisfactory.

If levels higher than 200 ppm (mg/l), this may

pose a significant health hazard.

Bromine-based 1 - 6 ppm (mg/l)

When bromine-based disinfectants are used

residuals

with ozone, the concentration of bromine ion

should be monitored and maintained at 15 - 20

ppm (mg/l) at all times.

Absent 4

Nitrites

Absent 4

Ammonia

To t a l

<3,000 ppm (mg/l)

Dissolved

- ideally 1,500 ppm

Solids

(mg/l)

1 Alkaline disinfectants - sodium and calcium hypochlorite normally require only the

addition of an acid for pH correction, usually a solution of sodium bisulfate, carbon dioxide or

hydrochloric acid.

Acidic disinfectants - chlorine gas and trichloroisocyanuric acid will normally require the

addition of an alkali, usually a solution of sodium carbonate (soda ash), to raise pH

2 It is recommended that operators aim for a free chlorine residual of 1 ppm (mg/l)

throughout the pool. In a well operated pool it is possible to maintain good water quality with

a maximum level at any single point always below 2 ppm (mg/l).

Lower free chlorine residuals (0.5 ppm (mg/l) or less) will be required with the additional

use of ozone. Higher levels (2-3 ppm (mg/l) may be required for spa and hydrotheraphy pools,

because of higher bathing loads, higher temperatures, which lead to more rapid loss of

disinfectant residual and growth of microorganisms.

3 Cyanuric acid is found in pools if the chlorine source is chlorinated isocyanurate

compounds. Cyanuric acid is also used as a chlorine stabilizer.

4 If present, pool water is to be diluted with fresh water and one should check the

filtration system and carry out backwash. This should be repeated until the presence of nitrites

and ammonia are eliminated from the pool water. If excess levels are found it is recommended

that pool will be closed until the necessary maintenance is completed.

SWIMMING POOLS

(1)(a) The owner and the manager of any swimming pool

shall not permit the use of any swimming pool in his

premises without having previously registered in

writing, on the appropriate form, the said pool with the

competent authority.

(b) Particulars and other information given on the

registration form shall not be misleading, inaccurate

and incomplete.

(c) The competent authority shall keep a register of all

swimming pools registered.

(2) Registration of swimming pools under this regulation shall

not exempt the owner and or manager from any obligation to apply

for and acquire the necessary licences or permits that may be

required by any competent authority.

MINIMUM POOL WATER TURNOVER PERIODS 1

The purpose of giving close attention to the turnover periods is to ensure that the

whole water is adequately served. Treated water must get to all parts of the pool, and

polluted water must be removed, especially from areas most used and most polluted

by bathers. If not, even good water treatments may not give good pool water quality.

RECOMMENDED POOL TURNOVER PERIODS

TYPE OF POOL

TURNOVER PERIOD

Competition pools 50 m long

3 - 4 h

Conventional pools up to 25 m long with 1 m shallow end

2.5 - 3 h

Diving pools

4 - 8 h

Hydrotheraphy pools

0.5 - 1 h

Leisure water bubble pools

5 - 20 min

Leisure waters up to 0.5 m deep

10 - 45 min

Leisure waters 0.5 - 1 m deep

0.5 - 1.25 h

Leisure waters 1 - 1.5 m deep

1 - 2 h

Leisure waters over 1.5 m deep

2 - 2.5 h

Spas

5 - 15 min

Teaching/learning/training pools

0.5 - 1.5 h

Water slide splash pools

0.5 - 1 h

1 This is the theoretical time taken for the total pool water volume to pass through the

filtration system once. It has been proven that at least 7 complete turnover periods are needed

before 99% of the pool water has actually passed through the filters.

SWIMMING POOLS

It shall be the duty of the responsible person to inform the

competent authority of any change in the information given on the

registration form within twenty-eight days from such occurrence.

MAXIMUM BATHING LOAD 1

The maximum bathing load is sometimes defined as 1 bather per 3 m 2 . This gives

a maximum bathing load for the whole pool, regardless of depth, etc., and must in

any case be modified in the light of type of pool.

RECOMMENDED BATHING LOADS

TYPE OF POOL

MAXIMUM BATHING

LOAD FORMULAE

1 bather per 2.2 m 2

Shallow water (under 1 m)

1 bather per 2.7 m 2

Standing depth water (1 - 1.5 m)

1 bather per 4 m 2

Deep water (over 1.5 m)

The bathing load obtained using these formulae is the maximum bathing load of

the pool at any one time, should not be exceeded. If the maximum bathing load is

exceeded, it is considered that there will be an unacceptable risk of accidents due to

bather collisions, or drowning, etc., and would have a impact on the system to

maintain good water quality.

During the design stage of a new pool the following formula is to be used for the

calculation of the Maximum Design Bathing Load 2

Pool Circulation Rate (in cubic meters per hour)

The Maximum Design Bather Load =

1.7

1 Bathing load is a measure of the number of people in the pool. All pools should identify

and maintain a realistic relationship between bathing numbers and pool and treatment plant

capacity.

2 The Maximum Design Bathing Load is the number of bathers per Turnover Period that

the circulation and filtration equipment can successfully support without losing water quality.

This means that the pool water will not begin to get cloudy through excessive dirt and debris,

and the Free Chlorine level and pH value will remain within acceptable limits throughout the

entire pool.

SWIMMING POOLS

The responsible person shall

(a) establish and make available to the competent

authority a pool safety operating procedure manual,

which should include normal procedures addressing

injury and accident prevention strategies. It should

also include the daily pool operation details, risks

assessment, a plan of the pool outlining hazards,

access points, information points and supervision

requirements;

(b) provide evidence to the competent authority that the

water quality of the swimming pool has always been

kept within the recommended levels for the parameters

listed in Schedule I and II;

(c) keep relevant records of all monitoring results which

may be carried out;

(d) report to the competent authority any results which

may indicate that the water quality has exceeded the

recommended levels in Schedules I and II;

(e) report to the competent authority and register any

cases of infections and, or accidents;

(f)

comply with any conditions or guidelines, which the

competent authority may issue from time to time.

DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTING SYSTEM FOR SWIMMING POOLS

DISINFECTANTS USED DISINFECTANTS USED DISINFECTANTS USED

MOST FREQUENTLY IN

LESS FREQUENTLY

INFREQUENTLY,

LARGE, HEAVILY USED

MAINLY FOR SMALL-

POOLS 1

SCALE POOLS

Chlorine

Bromine

• Gas

• Liquid bromine

Bromine chloride

• Calcium/sodium

• Bromochlorodim-

UV

hypochlorite

ethylhydantoin

UV - ozone

• Sodium

(BCDMH)

dichloroisocyanurate

• Sodium bromide + Iodine

• Electolytic

hypochlorite

Hydrogen peroxide

generation

Ozone/chlorine

in

Silver/copper

combination

Biguanide

Chlorine dioxide

Chlorine dioxide/chlorine

in combination

1 A variety of disinfectants are used for pool water treatment. Those listed in the first

column represent the major usage, especially in public and semi-public pools that are large

and heavily used. With the exception of chlorine gas and ozone, these disinfectants are also

routinely used in many small and semi-public pools. Some of these are residual disinfectants

i.e. they persist in water and are present in the water to which pool users are exposed. These

provide increased protection against contamination with infectious agents susceptible to

disinfection and leads to human exposure to the disinfectant itself. Some others (notable

ozone and UV) are effective at the point of treatment only. Non-residual disinfectants are

often used in combination with residual disinfectants.

The responsible person of any heated swimming pool shall

(a) keep the pool water temperature between 27ºC and

30ºC at all times

Provided that in the case of pools used for

hydrotherapy the temperature of the pool water shall

be between 28 º C to 35 º C, whilst in the case of spa

pools the water temperature shall not be higher than

SWIMMING POOLS

40 º C;

(b) keep the pool hall ambient temperature always 1ºC

above the water temperature at all times; and

(c) keep the relative humidity inside the pool hall at 55%

to 65% RH at all times.

It shall be the duty of the responsible person to operate the

pools within his premises at the recommended minimum turnover

periods and maximum bathing loads as indicated in Schedules III

and IV respectively.

(1) At all times when the pool is in use the water shall be

sufficiently clear to permit a sacchi disc or a black disc 15

centimeters in diameter on a white field, placed on the bottom of

the pool at the deepest point, to be clearly visible from the pool

(2)

(a) A sign indicating the maximum bathing load shall be

conspicuously posted at the pool.

(b) The maximum bathing load should not be exceed at

any time when the pool is in use.

(3) Pool water shall be disinfected by any method normally

used for pool disinfection and by the use of any chemical listed in

Schedule V.

(4)

(a) The dressing rooms, hallways, toilet rooms, shower

rooms or other rooms to which patrons of pools have

access shall be kept clean, in good repair, and well

ventilated at all times.

(b) The floors of the pool deck and all shower rooms and

locker rooms shall be daily treated with a 0.5%

chlorine solution, or an equivalent fungicide.

(c) All persons shall bathe with warm water and soap

before entering the pool. Warm water at a temperature

of 50ºC (achieved within 1 minute of running the

water at outlets), shall be provided at showers

convenient to the pool for this purpose.

(d) Toilet, wash hand basin and shower fixtures shall be

maintained in proper repair and shall be of such a

number as to cater for the maximum bathing load.

(e) Equipment rooms and all equipment shall be kept in

good repair and in a clean and hygienic condition (f)

Any persons known or suspected of having a

communicable disease shall not use the pool.

(a) A sign shall be conspicuously posted at the pool

entrances indicating the hours of use.

(b) When the pool is not in use a CLOSED sign is to be

fixed next or over the hours of use sign.

SWIMMING POOLS

(1) When any pool is found not to meet the requirements

set by these regulations, or when a condition is found which may

constitute a public health risk or a health nuisance to bathers or

pool patrons, the competent authority shall order such pool to be

closed.

(2) The competent authority shall also order such closure when

there is significant evidence of communicable disease being

transmitted through use of the pool, when the public pool is being

operated in such a manner as to constitute a significant health

nuisance, or when imminent public health hazards exist.

(1) The provisions of regulations 3 to 9 shall not be

applicable to swimming pools which are neither public nor

9. commercial.

(2)

It shall be the duty of the responsible person to

(a) prove to the satisfaction of the competent authority

that the pool is neither public nor commercial;

(b) ensure that the swimming pool is kept in such a state

as not to pose a risk to public health.

Any person who fails to comply with any of the provisions

of these regulations shall be guilty of an offence under the Act.

SWIMMING POOLS