Title 16 - Buildings and Construction

APPENDIX U

SWIMMING POOLS, SPAS AND HOT TUBS

AU101.1 General.  The provisions of this appendix shall control the design and construction of swimming pools, spas and hot tubs, installed in or on the lot of a one- or two-family dwelling.

AU101.2 Pools in flood hazard areas.  Pools that are located in flood hazard areas established by Table R301.2(1), including above-ground pools, on-ground pools and in-ground pools that involve placement of fill, shall comply with Section AU101.2.1 or AU101.2.2.

Exception: Pools located in riverine flood hazard areas which are outside of designated floodways.

AU101.2.1 Pools located in designated floodways.  Where pools are located in designated floodways, documentation shall be submitted to the building official which demonstrates that the construction of the pool will not increase the design flood elevation at any point within the jurisdiction.

AU101.2.2 Pools located where floodways have not been designated.  Where pools are located where design flood elevations are specified but floodways have not been designated, the applicant shall provide a floodway analysis that demonstrates that the proposed pool will not increase the design flood elevation more than 1 foot at any point within the jurisdiction.

SECTION AU102

DEFINITIONS

AU102.1 General. For the purposes of these requirements, the terms used shall be defined as follows and as set forth in Chapter 2.

ABOVE-GROUND/ON-GROUND POOL.  See “Swimming pool”

BARRIER. A fence, wall, building wall or combination thereof which completely surrounds the swimming pool and obstructs access to the swimming pool.

HOT TUB.  See “Swimming Pool.”

IN-GROUND POOL.  See “Swimming Pool.”

RESIDENTIAL.  That which is situated on the premises of a detached one- or two-family dwelling, or a one-family town-house not more than three stories in height.

SPA, NONPORTABLE.  See “Swimming Pool.”

SPA, PORTABLE.  A nonpermanent structure intended for recreational bathing, in which all controls, water-heating and water-circulating equipment are an integral part of the product.

SWIMMING POOL.  Any structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing that contains water more than 24 inches deep.  This includes in-ground. Above-ground and on-ground swimming pools, hot tubs and spas.

SWIMMING POOL, INDOOR.  A swimming pool which is totally contained within a structure and surrounded on all four sides by the walls of the enclosing structure.

SWIMMING POOL, OUTDOOR.  Any swimming pool which is not an indoor pool.

SECTION AU103

SWIMMING POOLS

AU103.1 In-ground pools.  In-ground pools shall be designed and constructed in compliance with ANSI/NSPI-5.

AU103.2 Above-ground and on-ground pools.  Above-ground and on-ground pools shall be designed and constructed in compliance with ANSI/NSPI-4.

SECTION AU104

SPAS AND HOT TUBS

AU104.1 Permanently installed spas and hot tubs.  Permanently installed spas and hot tubs shall be designed and constructed in compliance with ANSI/NSPI-3.

AU104.2. Portable spas and hot tubs.  Portable spas and hot tubs shall be designed and constructed in compliance with ANSI/NSPI-6.

SECTION AU105

BARRIER REQUIREMENTS

AU105.1 Application.  The provisions of this appendix shall control the design of barriers for residential swimming pools, spas and hot tubs.  These design controls are intended to provide protection against potential drownings and near-drownings by restricting access to swimming pools, spas and hot tubs.

AU105.2 Outdoor Swimming Pool.  An outdoor swimming pool, including an in-ground or on-ground pool, hot tub or spa, shall be surrounded by a barrier which shall comply with the following:

1. 1.
   The top of the barrier shall be at least forty-eight inches (48”) above grade measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. The maximum vertical clearance between grade and the bottom of the barrier shall be two inches (2”) measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. Where the top of the pool structure is above grade, such as an above-ground pool, the barrier may be at ground level, such as the pool structure, or mounted on top of the pool structure. Where the barrier is mounted on top of the pool structure, the maximum vertical clearance between the top of the pool structure and the bottom of the barrier shall be four inches (4”).
2. 2.
    Openings in the barrier shall not allow the passage of a four inch (4”) diameter sphere.
3. 3.
    Solid barriers which do not have openings, such as a masonry or stone wall, shall not contain indentations or protrusions, except for normal construction tolerances and tooled masonry joints.
4. 4.
    Where a barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members, and the distance between the tops of the horizontal members shall be equal to or greater than 32 (32”). Where vertical members are spaced one and three-fourths inches (1¾”) or less the horizontal members shall be allowed to be spaced at a distance less than thirty-two inches (32”). The horizontal members shall be located on the swimming pool side of the fence.
5. 5.
    Maximum mesh size for chain link fences shall be a two and one-fourth inch (2¼”) square, unless the fence has slats fastened at the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not more than one and three-fourths inches (1¾”).
6. 6.
   Where the barrier is composed of diagonal members, such as a lattice fence, the maximum opening formed by the diagonal members shall not be more than one and three-fourths inches (1¾”).
7. 7.
   Access gates shall comply with the requirements of Items 1 through 6, and shall be equipped to accommodate a locking device. Pedestrian access gates shall open outward away from the pool, and shall be self-closing and have a self-latching device. Gates, other than pedestrian access gates, shall have a self-latching device. Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device is located less than fifty-four inches (54”) from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism and openings shall comply with the following.

7.1   The release mechanism shall be located on the pool side of the gate at least three inches (3”) below the top of the gate: and

7.2  The gate and barrier shall have no opening larger than one-half inch (½”) within eighteen inches (18”) of the release mechanism.

8. 8.
   Where a wall of a dwelling serves as part of the barrier, one of the following conditions shall be met:

8.1  The pool shall be equipped with a powered safety cover in compliance with ASTM F 1346.

8.2  Doors with direct access to the pool through that wall shall be equipped with an alarm which produces an audible warning when the door and/or its screen, if present, are opened. The alarm shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2017. The deactivation switch(es) shall be located at least fifty-four inches (54”) above the threshold of the door; or

8.3   Other means of protection, such as self-closing doors with self-latching devices, which are approved by the Governing Body, shall be acceptable as long as the degree of protection afforded is not less than the protection afforded by Item 7.1 or 7.2 described herein.

9. 9.
   Where an above-ground pool structure is used as a barrier or where the barrier is mounted on top of the pool structure, and the means of access is a ladder or steps:

9.1 The ladder or steps shall be capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access; or

9.2   The ladder or steps shall be surrounded by a barrier which meets the requirements of Items 1 through 7. When the ladder or steps are secured, locked or removed, any opening created shall not allow the passage of a four inch (4”) diameter sphere.

AU105.3 Indoor swimming pool.  Walls surrounding an indoor swimming pool shall comply with Item 9 of Section AU105.2

AU105.4 Prohibited locations.  Barriers shall be located to prohibit permanent structures, equipment or similar objects from being used to climb them.

AU105.5 Barrier exceptions.  Spas or hot tubs with a safety cover which comply with ASTM F 1346 shall be exempt from the provisions of this appendix.

SECTION AU106

ENTRAPMENT PROTECTION FOR SWIMMING

POOL AND SPA SUCTION OUTLETS

AG106.1 General.  Suction outlets shall be designed and installed in accordance with ANSI/APSP-7.

SECTION AU107

AU107.1 General

ANSI--American National Standards Institute. 

11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

APSP--Association of Pool and Spa Professionals

NSPI--National SPA and Pool Institute. 

2111 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314

ASCE--American Society of Civil Engineers. 

1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 98411-0700

ASTM-- ASTM International

100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428

UL--Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

333 Pfingsten Road, Northborrk, IL 60062-2096

SECTION AU108

REFERENCED STANDARDS

AU108 General.

ANSI/APSP

ANSI/APSP/ICC-3 2014 American National Standard for Permanently Installed Residential Spas and Swim Spas……..…………………………………………….................................................................................................................………………….AU104.1

ANSI/APSP/ICC-4 2012 American national Standard for Aboveground/Onground Residential Swimming Pools Includes Addenda A Approved April 4, 2013.............................................................................................………………………....AU103.2

ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 American National Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools Includes Addenda A Approved June 28, 2012............................................................................................................……………………………………………AU103.1

ANSI/APSP/ICC-6 2013 American national Standard for Residential Portable Spas and Swim Spas…………………………………………………….........................................................................................………………………………….AG104.2

ANSI/APSP/ICC-7 2013 American National Standard for Suction Entrapment Avoidance In Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs, and Catch Basins……………….............................................................................................……AU106.1

ASCE

ASCE.SEI-24--14 Flood Resistant Design and Construction……………..........................................................…………....….AU103.3

ASTM

ASTM F1346--91(2010): Standard Performance Specification for Safety Covers and Labeling Requirements for All Covers for Swimming Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs……..............................................................................................AU105.2, AU105.5

UL

UL 2017--2008 General-purpose Signaling Devices and Systems--with revisions through May 2011………………………………….......................................................................................…………………………………………………....AU105.2

(History:  Ord. BC-3286 §90, 2020)

Effective on: 1/1/1901