[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Haverford 11-9-1964 by Ord. No. 1250. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Department of Code Enforcement — See Ch. 4, Part 4, Art. VI.
Health and safety — See Ch. 99.
Plumbing — See Ch. 132.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
The following rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Health of the Township of Haverford at a meeting duly held on October 14, 1964, and known as the "Code Governing the Operation and Maintenance of Public Bathing Places in the Township of Haverford," be and the same are hereby approved and adopted.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BATHING PLACE
Any body of water used by the public for swimming and recreational bathing and shall include but not be limited to indoor and outdoor pools and wading pools, whether operated for profit or not. This term does not include baths where the main object is the cleansing of the body or the practice of healing under medical supervision, unless such baths contain pools or tanks used collectively by a number of individuals.
CLEAN WATER
New clean water used to fill the pool, refill the pool or replenish the pool.
OPERATOR
The person responsible for the operation and maintenance of a bathing place.
STANDARD METHODS OF WATER ANALYSIS
All applicable procedures and methods recorded in the latest issue of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage, published by the American Public Health Association.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
A. 
Every person who constructs or installs or intends to construct or install or who desires to extend, alter or modify a bathing place shall have plans and specifications for such construction, installation, alteration, extension or modification approved in writing by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and by the Director of Code Enforcement of the Township of Haverford before beginning the work or before permitting the work to be started by a contractor or any employee.
B. 
The application for approval of plans required above shall contain complete plans and specifications fully describing the bathing place or extension, alteration or change contemplated in the application and shall be made on forms provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and by the Director of Code Enforcement of the Town of Haverford.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 3-11-1991 by Ord. No. 2109; 2-8-1993 by Ord. No. 2168; 8-8-1994 by Ord. No. 2209]
A. 
Operation license. No person, firm or corporation shall operate a public bathing place without first obtaining a license from the Health Department of Haverford Township and paying an annual license and inspection fee as established by resolution of the Board of Commissioners, which may be amended from time to time, to defray the administrative costs of inspections, consultations and servicing of the public bathing places of the Township of Haverford. All such inspections, consultations and services shall be for the purpose of ascertaining compliance with the rules and regulations set forth in this chapter.
(1) 
Such person shall post the license, including the Pennsylvania Department of Health's permit and electrical certificate, in the principal office of the bathing place or in the entryway or in any other conspicuous place approved by the Director of Health.
(2) 
The operator of a bathing place shall be held responsible for compliance with all the provisions of this chapter on and within the premises operated under such a license.
(3) 
The operator shall have had experience in operating and knowledge of any treatment processes necessary in order to maintain clean water in the pool at all times and shall have knowledge of the basic scientific principles relating to the proper operation of bathing places, including the treatment processes and pool plumbing.
(4) 
Except for public bathing places located at continuing-care facilities for the elderly, as defined in § 182-106B, which public bathing places are open for use only by residents of such facilities and their guests, one or more lifeguards in adequate number shall be on duty waterside at a public bathing place at all times such bathing place is open for use by bathers. While they are on waterside duty, lifeguards shall not be assigned other tasks that will divert their attention from the safety of the bather. Lifeguards need not be assigned to hot tubs, spas or whirlpools.
(5) 
If it is found that the provisions of this chapter are not being complied with or that any condition exists which, in the opinion of the Department of Health of Haverford Township, endangers the life, safety or health of the users of any swimming pool or other bathing place, said Department may revoke the operator's license.
B. 
Investigation of bathing places. Bathing places shall be open at all reasonable times to inspect by the Director of Health.
C. 
Reports.
(1) 
It shall be the duty of every operator and of every employee in every bathing place to furnish such records and information as are required by the Director of Health for ascertaining compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(2) 
All operators of bathing places shall keep records of operations, which shall include daily records of chemicals added, the time of cleansing of the filters, the time of cleaning the pool, the daily bathing load, a record of all breakdowns of equipment operation and hourly, daily and monthly records of the amount of free bromine and chlorine residual in the pool from locations designated by the Director of Health. The aforesaid records shall be open to the inspection of the Director of Health.
A. 
Water. Water supply for other than pool water shall comply with the provisions established under the Township Health Code.[1]
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 99, Health and Safety.
B. 
Plumbing. Plumbing systems, both house and pool, shall conform to the standards established in Haverford Township's Plumbing Ordinance.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 132, Plumbing.
C. 
Disposal of sewage and liquid waste. All sewage and liquid waste, except pool wastewater, shall be disposed of in the Township sanitary sewer system. All pool wastewater shall be disposed of in a safe and sanitary manner as approved by the Director of Health.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
D. 
Location. No bathing place shall be so located as to be within the influence of the discharge of sewage or of injurious or objectionable industrial wastes.
E. 
Dressing rooms. Bathing places shall have separate dressing rooms for each sex which are adequate for the maximum number of persons who can be accommodated at any one time. Adequate minimum requirements for bathing places are as follows:
(1) 
An area of 3.5 square feet for men and 7.0 square feet for women shall be provided.
(2) 
Since normal attendance of public pools is two men to each woman, the total areas allotted to men and women should be equal.
(3) 
An acceptable size for both dressing rooms is 1/5 the area of the pool.
F. 
Toilets. Adequate and separate toilet facilities for each sex shall be provided at all bathhouses. Flush toilets and urinals shall be provided and shall be properly maintained.
G. 
Lavatories. Lavatories shall be provided and located adjacent to the toilet facilities and there shall be provided soap and towels.
H. 
Common use of toilet articles. The common use of drinking cups, towels, hairbrushes or other toilet articles is prohibited.
I. 
Maintenance of premises. All parts of the premises shall be adequately clean, safe and maintained in a sanitary manner at all times.
J. 
Lighting. A complete system of artificial lighting shall be provided for all pools, bathing beaches, bathhouses and dressing rooms that are to be used at night. Lighting fixtures shall be of such number and design as to light all parts of the swimming pool and the water therein. Such lights and electrical wiring in all bathing places shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of applicable existing laws. The electrical certificate showing approval of the installation of the electrical system is to be posted in a conspicuous place.
A. 
The chemical and physical quality of the water shall be as prescribed in the recommendations of the American Public Health Association's current edition of Recommended Practice for Design Equipment and Operation of Swimming Pools and Bathing Places. Licenses shall be suspended automatically if the minimum requirements, as provided, are not complied with.
B. 
The Department of Health of Haverford Township will determine what purification processes are necessary to maintain the standards herein required. When filtration equipment is provided or required, such equipment shall operate at a rate of filtration not to exceed three gallons per square foot per minute with an eight-hour turnover and wash rate of 12 to 15 gallons per square foot per minute.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
C. 
Bromine, liquid chlorine, sodium or calcium hypochlorite or other approved chlorine compounds shall be used for swimming pool disinfection. The amount of free-chlorine residual in the water at all times when the pool is in use shall not be less than 0.4 parts per million nor exceed 1.0 parts per million. Bromine, using a bromine test kit, shall not fall below 1.0 parts per million nor exceed 3.0 parts per million and, when using a chlorine test kit, shall not fall below 0.5 parts per million nor exceed 1.5 parts per million.
D. 
The water at all times when the pool is in use shall show an alkaline reaction of not less than 7.2 and not exceeding 7.8, and for chlorine and for bromine reaction, the water shall show a pH of 7.1 and not exceeding 7.5.
E. 
At all times when the pool is in use, the water shall be sufficiently clear to permit a black disk, six inches in diameter in a white field, when placed on the bottom of the pool at the deepest point, to be clearly visible from the sidewalk around the pool.
F. 
The water in any indoor pool shall be heated to a temperature of 68° F. to 72° F. The temperature of the air surrounding an artificially heated swimming pool shall not be permitted to become more than eight degrees Fahrenheit warmer nor more than two degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the water in a pool at any time when the pool is in use.
G. 
Not more than 10% of representative samples of pool water taken on different days shall contain more than 100 bacteria per cubic centimeter of water according to a bacteria count as determined by a standard nutrient agar test with 24 hours incubation at 37° C.
H. 
No more than two out of five samples collected on the same day nor more than three out of 10 consecutive samples collected on different days shall have a positive presumptive test for B. coli in ten-cubic-centimeter portions.
I. 
Bacteriological analyses of the water in the bathing places, when in use, shall be made at least weekly or more often if required, and copies of the results of such analyses shall be filed promptly in the office of the Haverford Township Department of Health.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
J. 
Samples collected from public bathing places shall be examined for bacteriological analysis, in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods of Water Analysis of the American Public Health Association, by a laboratory approved by this Department and equipped for carrying out the techniques specified.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
A. 
A swimming pool shall be constructed so as to be watertight and easily cleaned. It shall be made of a nonabsorbent material with a smooth surface and shall be free of open cracks and joints.
B. 
Two ladders with handrails shall be provided at the deep end of the pool, and two ladders or steps with handrails shall be provided at the shallow end of the pool. Wooden steps or ladders shall not be used. The ladders and steps shall be kept safe and clean.
C. 
Walks in the pool area shall have a nonslip surface which can be cleaned readily. Floor maps, if provided, shall be made of a nonporous, rough surface of perforated rubber, plastic or other suitable material and shall be of such size that they can be readily removed and cleaned.
D. 
The area for sale and service of food and for spectators shall be separated from the pool so as to prevent contamination of the pool.
E. 
A pool shall be provided with outlets, including one at the deepest point, of a sufficient size to drain the entire pool within eight hours. The drain outlets shall be properly covered with gratings and shall be in accordance with the Plumbing Ordinance of Haverford Township.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 132, Plumbing.
F. 
A pool constructed after the effective date of this chapter shall have an overflow scum gutter at the high-water line or a cleaning device which is approved by the Department of Health of Haverford Township. Drainage outlets in all pools shall be provided every 15 feet in the gutters. Such outlets shall have a trap at least the size of the drain pipes and shall be covered with gratings. The drainage pipes shall be at least three inches in diameter. The drains shall be designed with an air gap so as to prevent the reversal of flow into the pool and shall be installed under the provisions of the Plumbing Ordinance of Haverford Township.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
G. 
A pool shall have inlets of such size and spacing in relation to the outlets and to the size and shape of the pool so as to facilitate uniform circulation of water throughout the pool. There shall be no direct connection between the piping system of the pool and the domestic water supply system.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 6-13-1988 by Ord. No. 2019; 3-12-2012 by Ord. No. 2660]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall, upon summary conviction before any District Justice of the Peace, pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and costs of prosecution; and in default of one payment of the fine and costs, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for a term of not more than 90 days. Whenever such person shall have been officially notified by the Director of Health or by the service of a summons in a prosecution or in any other official manner that he is committing a violation of this chapter or the rules and regulations approved and herein adopted, each day that he shall continue such violation after such notification shall constitute a separate offense punishable by a like fine or penalty. Such fines or penalties shall be collected as like fines or penalties are now by law collected.
A. 
Board of Health was changed to Department of Health in the following sections: §§ 53-1; 53-4A; 53-4A(5); 53-6B, I and J; and 53-7F.
B. 
Superintendent of Building Regulations was changed to Director of Code Enforcement in § 53-3.
C. 
Health Officer was changed to Director of Health in the following sections: §§ 53-4A(1), B and C; and 53-8.