§ 165.41 General Requirements for Pools.
RCNY § 165.41
(a)General. All bathing establishments with pools shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements contained in this Code. All bathing establishments with pools shall be located at a site conducive to good operation, maintenance, and public safety and free from contamination. The site shall have sufficient drainage and be separated from environmentally sensitive areas (for example, subsurface sewage disposal systems, open bodies of freshwater, groundwater wells).
(b)Structural stability. The designing architect or engineer shall certify the structural stability and safety of the bathing establishment. All bathing establishments shall be designed and constructed to withstand all anticipated loading for both full and empty conditions, and hydrostatic and earth pressures involved in each case. The strength of the assembled and installed components and accessories to be used in and around the pools should be such that no structural failure of any component part shall cause the failure of any other component part.
(c)Construction material finishes.
(1)Materials. Pools shall be constructed of materials which are inert, stable, nontoxic, watertight and enduring. Sand or earth bottoms or unlined wooden tubs are prohibited. The materials of components and accessories used in and around the pools shall be compatible with human occupancy and the environment in which they are installed. Materials shall be capable of fulfilling the design, installation, and intended use requirements.
(2)Finish. The pool bottom and sides shall be white or a light color with a smooth and easily cleanable surface.
(3)Corners. All corners formed by intersection of pool walls and bottom shall be rounded.
(d)Accessibility.
(e)Equipment. All equipment used or proposed for use in pools shall be tested and listed by N.S.F. or another testing laboratory under standards promulgated by N.S.F. Equipment that is experimental or not N.S.F. approved shall be submitted to the Department for review. The experimental equipment shall be tested as follows: (1) Use-tested in New York or another state in at least 10 pools of comparable design for a period of at least 60 days, with engineering reports on results of use submitted; or (2) Pilot-plant testing of at least 90 days, with formal submission of an operational report prepared by the design engineer or architect; or (3) A combination of use and testing or a trial use period approved by the Department and the New York State Commissioner of Health.
(f)Size and shape. Dimensional limits are not specified for the length, width, or shape of pools. The size and shape shall be selected based on competitive requirements, bather demand, and space available for a particular establishment. The shape of any pool shall be such that the circulation of pool water and control of bathers' safety are not impaired. There shall be no underwater or overhead projections or obstructions which would endanger patron safety or interfere with pool operation.
(g)Minimum water depth. The minimum depth of water in the pool shall be three feet except for wading pools and wave pools.
(h)Bottom slope. The bottom of the pool shall slope downward toward the main drains. The slope in shallow areas (depths less than 5') shall not exceed one foot (1') vertical in twelve feet (12') horizontal. In portions of the pool with depth greater than five feet, the slope shall not be steeper than one foot in three feet.
(i)Pool walls. The walls of a pool shall be either: (1) Vertical for a distance of at least six feet (6'); or (2) Vertical for a distance of at least three feet (3') below the water level; below which the wall may be curved to the bottom with a radius not greater than the difference between the depth at that point and three feet (3'); provided that vertical is interpreted to permit slopes not greater than one foot (1') horizontal for each five feet (5') of depth of sidewall (11 degrees from vertical).
(j)Safety ledges. Ledges shall not extend into the pool unless they are essential for support of the upper wall construction.
(k)Decks and walkways.
(4)Drainage. Deck drains, when used, shall be spaced and arranged so that not more than four hundred square feet (400 ft 2 ) of area is tributary to each drain, and drains shall not be spaced more than twenty-five feet (25 ft) apart. There shall be no direct connection between the pool deck drains and the pool gutter or recirculation system. The deck of outdoor pools shall be sloped away from the pool or to the deck drains to prevent surface runoff from entering the pool.
(5)Roll-out and deck level gutters. If the pool is equipped with deck level gutters, not more than five feet of deck shall be sloped toward the gutters.
(6)Hose bibbs. At least one hose bibb shall be provided to facilitate flushing of the deck area and each bibb shall be provided with an anti-siphonage device.
(7)Rinse showers. Adjacent recreational areas shall be separated from the bathing area by a suitable fence or barrier. If bathers are permitted free access between the deck and an adjacent recreational area without having to pass through a bathhouse or bather preparation facilities, a rinse shower area shall be installed so that bathers shall pass through the rinse shower area when going from the recreational area to the deck. Minimum requirements for a rinse shower shall include: (A) water for the rinse shower(s), (B) have sufficient drainage so that there is no standing water, (C) a foot surface that is impervious and slip-resistant.
(l)Pool enclosures. All pools shall be protected by a fence, wall, building, or other solid barrier, or any combination thereof. A wall of a building may serve as part of the enclosure, provided that there is no direct access from the wall to the pool. Pools located on a roof, where there is no access to the roof except through doors where access can be prevented when the pool is unsupervised, do not require additional enclosure. All pools shall be provided with an enclosure which shall comply with the following: (1) No external handholds or footholds.
(m)Pool capacities and patron loading. The maximum permissible number of bathers allowed in the pool at one time is as follows: (1) Pools (except spa and wading pools): Twenty-five square feet (25 ft 2 ) of water surface area shall be provided for each patron.
(n)Spectator areas and visitor galleries. There shall be an effective separation between spectator areas and bather areas so as to prevent contamination of the pool. Galleries for spectators shall not overhang any portion of the pool surface. The floor and foot rail of the gallery shall be of tight construction to prevent dirt from being tracked into the pool.
(o)Depth markings and safety lines.
(p)Diving area.
(r)Rolling bulkheads. Rolling bulkheads which may be provided at a pool, shall be equipped with traction wheels running on the pool floor or alternatively in the overflow gutter. The design shall be such that the patrons cannot be entrapped under the bulkhead.
(s)Starting blocks. Starting blocks when provided, shall be designed according to recognized competitive design standards. Starting blocks shall be installed over a minimum water depth of six feet (6').
(t)Ladders, recessed steps, stairs and handrails. Except in a wading pool, physical-therapy pool, wave pool, white-water slide or movable-bottom pool, steps or ladders shall be provided to serve the shallow and deep portion of the pool, and if the pool is over thirty feet wide, such steps or ladders shall be installed on each end and on opposite sides. Stairs, ladders, and recessed steps shall be located so as not to interfere with racing lanes or with diving. If recessed steps are used, at least one additional non-recessed stairway or one conventional ladder shall be provided.
(u)Safety and warning signs.
(v)Safety equipment. The pool shall provide the safety equipment as required by 24 RCNY Health Code § 165.17.
(w)First aid room. Pools with a surface area in excess of four thousand square feet (4,000 ft 2 ) shall have a readily accessible room or area designated and equipped for emergency care.
