[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bellmawr 5-22-1980 by Ord. No. 4:4-80. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 170.
Public swimming pools — See Ch. 500.
The words, terms and phrases listed below, for the purpose of this chapter, shall be defined as follows:
PRIVATE CLUB SWIMMING POOL
Any artificially constructed swimming pool or tank maintained and operated by a private group or club or limited to residents of a block, district, neighborhood, community or other specified area of residence for the use of members or their guests.
PRIVATE STORABLE OR COLLAPSIBLE SWIMMING POOL
Any artificially constructed swimming pool or tank, having a depth of less than 18 inches and not more than 15 feet across in any direction, established or maintained by any individual, association, firm or corporation upon any premises as an appurtenance to a residence occupied by not more than three families for the use of the occupants of such residence or their guests.
PRIVATE SWIMMING POOL
Any artificially constructed permanent swimming pool or tank, having a depth of 18 inches or greater, established or maintained by any individual, association, firm or corporation upon any premises as an appurtenance to a residence occupied by not more than three families for the use of the occupants of such residence or their guests.
It shall be unlawful to construct, enlarge, alter, remove or demolish any swimming pool in the Borough of Bellmawr unless and until a permit for such purpose has been first secured from the Construction Official of said Borough, pursuant to the Uniform Construction Code Act, as amended by the rules and regulations thereof.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 5:23.
Fees as provided in Chapter 210, Fees, shall be charged for the erection or installation of a pool, for a certificate of occupancy, and for the installation of electrical wiring. There shall be no fee for the erection of a storable or collapsible swimming pool as defined in § 405-1.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A permit shall be required for all swimming pool installations by the property owner or his agent. The application for a building permit shall be accompanied by duplicate sets of the plans, specifications and plot plan. The plot plan shall show the accurate location of the proposed accessory structures or buildings. The plot plan shall show all existing fencing or walks on the boundary lines of the property, together with the height and type of fencing. Any fees paid for a permit to erect a swimming pool, as defined in this chapter, shall be exclusive of the permit for the erection of any accessory building or structure to be used in connection with such swimming pool.
A. 
All swimming pools constructed in the Borough of Bellmawr shall be of permanent waterproof construction. The water surface area shall not occupy more than 12% of the total lot area.
B. 
The edge of any swimming pool shall have a minimum distance from any rear property line of five feet. Such minimum distance shall be the shortest distance measurable from the property line to the nearest inside face of such swimming pool at its water line.
C. 
No swimming pool shall have a bottom slab below groundwater level, unless special provisions are made for hydrostatic uplift.
D. 
The highest point or top of a swimming pool wall or side shall not be more than 2 1/2 feet above the average ground elevation at the location of the pool prior to its construction. In no case shall any drainage from the swimming pool or natural drainage be discharged into neighboring property.
E. 
The wall of any such swimming pool shall be vertical for a minimum of 24 inches below the water level, and at least two ladders shall be installed in the wall of the swimming pool, one of which shall be at the deep end of the pool; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the construction of steps at the shallow end of the swimming pool in place of a ladder.
F. 
Every such swimming pool shall be self-supporting and waterproof, and, in addition, it shall be capable of resisting all external forces from the earth or any superimposed loads on the earth that may exist at the location of such swimming pool, and such swimming pool shall be capable of withstanding the interior force from the pool contents.
G. 
No such swimming pool shall be constructed within 10 feet of the foundation wall of any dwelling, whether such dwelling shall be on the same premises on which the swimming pool is to be constructed or on adjacent premises.
A. 
Every such swimming pool shall have a complete recirculating purifying system. The minimum size recirculating purifying system for private pools shall have a capacity for recirculating the entire pool within 12 hours.
B. 
The recirculating purifying system of any such swimming pool shall be capable of removing approximately 99% of the suspended solids. Means shall be provided for disinfecting the entire pool contents. The water used in any such swimming pool shall conform to the standards established by the New Jersey State Department of Health for swimming pool quality.
C. 
Scum gutters shall be installed in connection with the operation of any private swimming pool. Scum removal shall be continuous while the swimming pool is in use or the recirculating purifying system is in operation. Such scum removal facilities shall be provided at one location. Minimum scum removal facilities shall consist of one location for each 800 square feet of swimming pool surface.
A. 
All swimming pools, as defined by this chapter, shall be enclosed by a substantial fence no less than 48 inches in height nor more than 72 inches in height, so constructed as to prevent any person from gaining access beneath or through said fence, and which shall have a similarly substantial gate of the same height as the fence with facilities for locking said gate when the pool is unguarded. Said gate shall be closed at all times, except when open for the purpose of ingress or egress. When said swimming pool is unguarded or unattended, said gate shall be kept locked. No portion of such fence shall be installed less than four feet nor more than 30 feet from the corresponding extremity of the pool enclosed thereby.
B. 
For the safety and welfare of all persons in the Borough of Bellmawr, swimming pool fencing shall be erected pursuant to this chapter surrounding all and any swimming pools constructed or installed heretofore and hereafter. For the purpose of conformance, all swimming pools shall have fencing after one month of passage of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 260, Land Use and Development, Art. XVIII, Fences, Hedges and Walls.
Every such swimming pool shall be completely surrounded with a walk having a minimum width of 2 1/2 feet, constructed of all hard-surfaced semiwaterproof material, such as concrete, tile, flagstone or brick.
No swimming pool hereafter constructed, altered, changed, converted or enlarged, wholly or partly, in its use or structure in the Borough of Bellmawr shall be used or occupied in whole or in part unless and until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued. Failure to properly operate such swimming pool shall result in the rescission of such certificate of occupancy.
No artificial lighting shall be maintained or operated in connection with any swimming pool, as defined, in such a manner as to be a nuisance or annoying to neighboring properties, and, further, the use of any pool after 10:00 p.m. shall be restricted to quiet use.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter and the regulations hereby established shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days, or any combination thereof.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).