As used in this Part
1, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
BARRIER
A fence, a wall, a building wall, the wall of an aboveground
swimming pool or a combination thereof, which completely surrounds
the swimming pool and obstructs access to the swimming pool.
SWIMMING POOL or POOL
An outdoor swimming pool above or in ground used or intended
to be used solely by the owner of a residential property, the said
owner's family, or lessee thereof and lessee's family, and
by guests invited to use it without the payment of any fee having
a depth of 24 inches (610 mm) or more at any one point and/or having
a surface area of 250 square feet (23.25m2) or greater.
Before any work is commenced on the construction of a swimming
pool or on any alteration, addition, remodeling or other improvement
to a swimming pool, an application for a permit for construction,
together with a sketch plan executed by the applicant pertinent to
the construction, shall be submitted to the Township. No part of the
work shall be commenced until approval has been granted to the applicant
by a written permit. All swimming pools shall be subject to the building
permit and building permit fee schedules of the Township.
A swimming pool shall be located at the rear of a dwelling or
along the side of the dwelling where practical (existing swimming
pools are excluded from this section). All swimming pools must comply
with yard set back requirements. For purposes of yard set back requirements,
the wall of a swimming pool shall not be located less than 10 feet
from any rear, side and/or any street property line.
No swimming pool shall be so located as to interfere with the
operation of a well or on-site septic system, or to be located where
there is potential danger of a septic system discharging into the
pool or onto the adjacent area around the pool or be located over
a sanitary sewer lateral or main or any electrical service.
No permit to construct new swimming pools including aboveground
pools (with the exception of Subsection 8 of this section, existing
pools are excluded from this section) shall be issued unless and until
the following design and construction requirements are observed.
1. Wall Slopes. To a depth of up to two feet nine inches (838 mm) from
the top, the wall slope shall not be more than one unit horizontal
in five units vertical (1:5).
2. Floor Slopes. The slope of the floor on the shallow side of the transition
point shall not exceed one unit vertical to seven units horizontal.
The transition point between shallow and deep water shall not be more
than five feet (1,524 mm) deep.
3. Surface Cleaning. All swimming pools shall be provided with a recirculating
skimming device or overflow gutters to remove scum and foreign matter
from the surface of the water. Where skimmers are used for pools,
there shall be at least one skimming device for each 1,000 square
feet (93 m2) of surface area or fraction
thereof. Overflow gutters shall not be less than three inches (76
mm) deep and shall be pitched to a slope of one unit vertical to 48
units horizontal (1:48) toward drains, and constructed so that such
gutters are safe, cleanable and that matter entering the gutters will
not be washed out by a sudden surge of entering water.
4. Walkways. Curbs or sidewalks around any swimming pool shall have
a slip-resistant surface for a width of not less than one foot (305
mm) at the edge of the pool, and shall be so arranged as to prevent
return of surface water to the pool.
5. Steps and Ladders. At least one means of egress shall be provided
from pools. Treads of steps and ladders shall have slip-resistant
surfaces and handrails on both sides, except that handrails are not
required where there are not more than four steps or where the steps
extend the full width of the side or end of the pool. Treads and risers
of the pool steps shall conform to the following:
A. Step treads shall have a minimum unobstructed horizontal depth of
10 inches (254 mm) and a maximum unobstructed surface area of 240
square inches (0.15 m2).
B. Risers shall have a maximum uniform height of 12 inches (305 mm)
as measured at the center line of the tread. The height of the bottom
riser shall not vary more than plus or minus two inches (51 mm) from
the uniform riser height.
6. Water Supply. All swimming pools shall be provided with a potable
water supply, free of cross connections with the pool or its equipment.
A. Water Treatment. Swimming pools shall be designed and installed so
that there is a pool water turnover at least once every 18 hours.
Filters shall not filter water at a rate in excess of five gallons
per minute per square foot (205 L/min/m2) of surface area. The pool owner shall be instructed in the care
and maintenance of the pool by the supplier or builder, including
treatment with high-test calcium hypochlorite (dry chlorine), sodium
hypochlorite (liquid chlorine) or equally effective germicide and
algicide, and the importance of proper pH (alkalinity and acidity
control).
B. Drainage Systems. The swimming pool and equipment shall be equipped
to be emptied completely of water and the discharged water shall be
disposed of in an approved manner that will not create a nuisance
to adjoining property.
7. Equipment Installations. Construction and drainage shall be arranged
to avoid the entrance and accumulation of water in the vicinity of
electrical equipment.
8. Enclosures for Swimming Pools. Swimming pools shall be enclosed as
follows:
A. Swimming Pool. A swimming pool shall be provided with a barrier which
shall comply with the following:
(1)
The top of the barrier shall be at least 48 inches (1,219 mm)
above finished ground level measured on the side of the barrier which
faces away from the swimming pool. The maximum vertical clearance
between finished ground level and the barrier shall be two inches
(51 mm) measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from
the swimming pool. Where the top of the pool structure is above finished
ground level, such as an aboveground pool, the barrier shall be at
finished ground level, such as the pool structure, or shall be mounted
on top of the pool structure. Where the barrier is mounted on the
pool structure, the opening between the top surface of the pool structure,
the opening between the top surface of the pool frame and the bottom
of the barrier shall not allow passage of a four-inch (102 mm) diameter
sphere.
(2)
Openings in the barrier shall not allow passage of a four-inch
(102 mm) diameter sphere.
(3)
Solid barriers shall not contain indentations or protrusions
except for normal construction tolerances and tooled masonry joints.
(4)
Where the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members
and the distance between the tops of the horizontal members is less
than 45 inches (1143 mm), the horizontal members shall be located
on the swimming pool side of the fence. Spacing between vertical members
shall not exceed 1 3/4 inches (44 mm) in width. Decorative cutouts
shall not exceed 1 3/4 inches (44 mm) in width.
(5)
Where the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members
and the distance between the tops of the horizontal members is 45
inches (1,143 mm) or more, spacing between vertical members shall
not exceed 4 inches (102 mm). Decorative cutouts shall not exceed
1 3/4 inches (44 mm) in width.
(6)
Maximum mesh size for chain link fences shall be a 1 1/4-inch
(32 mm) square unless the fence is provided with slats fastened at
the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not more than 1 3/4
inches (44 mm).
(7)
Where the barrier is composed of diagonal members, such as a
lattice fence, the maximum opening formed by the diagonal members
shall be not more than 1 3/4 inches (44 mm).
(8)
Access gates shall comply with the requirements of items 1 through
7 of this subsection, and shall be equipped to accommodate a locking
device. Pedestrian access gates shall open outwards 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 54 inches (1372 mm) from the bottom of the gate:
(a)
The release mechanism shall be located on the pool side of the
gate at least three inches (76 mm) below the top of the gate; and
(b)
The gate and barrier shall not have an opening greater than
1/2 inch (13 mm) within 18 inches (457 mm) of the release mechanism.
(9)
Where an aboveground 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 fixed or removable ladder or steps, the ladder or steps shall be surrounded by a barrier which meets the requirements of Subsection
8A(1) through
(8) of this section. A removable ladder shall not constitute an acceptable alternative to enclosure requirements; however, an access ladder which may be raised and locked in a near vertical position when the pool is unattended does suffice.
B. Prohibited locations. Barriers shall be located so as to prohibit
permanent structures, equipment or similar objects from being used
to climb the barriers.
All electrical installations shall conform to the specifications
of the National Electrical Code. No electric wires or conductors shall
cross, either overhead or underground, on any part of a swimming pool,
nor shall any electric wiring be installed parallel to any pool wall
closer than five feet, if underground, unless enclosed in a rigid
conduit, or within five feet, if overhead (existing pools are excluded
from this section).
All underwater lights must be watertight, self-contained units
with ground connections running from a waterproof junction box to
a proper grounding facility or medium. All underground electric wires
supplying current to said lights within a distance of five feet of
the pool wall or walls shall be enclosed in rigid conduits. All metal
fences, enclosures or railings, near or adjacent to a swimming pool,
which might become electrically charged as a result of contact with
broken overhead conductors, or from any other cause, shall be effectively
grounded.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this Part shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a
fine not less than $50 and not more than $600, and in default of payment,
to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days. Each day that a
violation of this Part continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary and in
addition to any penalty imposed herein, in the event any person shall
fail or refuse to comply with any notice within the period of time
stated therein, the Township may remove any and/or correct said violation.
The Township is hereby authorized to collect the cost of such removal
or correction from the person responsible in the manner provided for
the collection of municipal claims or by an action of assumpsit without
the filing of a claim and/or by whatever other legal proceeding the
Township may choose to institute. Nothing herein shall prevent the
Township from also enforcing violation of this Part in criminal summary
proceedings as provided herein.
[Ord. 05-11-00]
This Part (with the exception of any requirement imposed upon
existing pools found in this Part), shall be completely superseded
by the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (hereinafter "Act") upon
said Act's effective date wherein swimming pools within the Township
are regulated by said Act.