For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
Approved.Acceptable to the city based on a determination as to conformance with appropriate standards and/or good public health practices.
Bromine.A chemical element (Br2) that exists as a liquid in its elemental form or as part of a chemical compound that is a biocide agent used to disinfect pool or spa water.
Chlorine.A chemical element (Cl2) that exists as a gas in its elemental form or as a part of a chemical compound that is an oxidant. Chlorine is a biocide agent used to disinfect pool or spa water.
Cryptosporidium.A microscopic parasite that can cause diarrhea. Water is the most common method of transmission and "Cryptosporidium" is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne illness among humans in the United States.
Cyanuric acid.A chemical that helps reduce the loss of chlorine in water due to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
DCO.Designated City Official. The City Manager. The term may include the City Manager's designee or delegated staff or duly authorized representative of the City Manager.
Deck.The walking surface around the swimming pool that is intended to be used by the bathers for sitting, standing, or walking.
DPD.A chemical testing reagent (N,N-Diethyl-P-Phenylenediamine) used to measure the levels of free chlorine or bromine in water by yielding a series of colors ranging from light pink to dark red.
DPD method.A method of measuring free available chlorine using DPD.
GFCI wet niche test.Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) are designed to sense fluctuation in power flow at an electrical outlet and automatically cut the power to prevent electrical shock. Testing required for pools is the wet niche test. To test: Plug something that uses power into the GFI receptacle and push the test button. The power should go off when the test button is pushed. The light on a wet niche fixture in a swimming pool should go out when the test button is pushed. When the reset button is pushed, power should be restored. If the test button does not interrupt the power, the unit is defective and needs to be replaced.
Interactive water features and fountains (IWFFs).Any indoor or outdoor structure maintained for public recreation that includes water sprays, dancing water jets, waterfalls, dumping buckets, or shooting water cannons in various arrays, but has minimal standing water or does not pond water. Water from IWFFs is collected by gravity below grade in a collector tank or sump.
(1) Public IWFF. — Any interactive water feature or fountain, other than a semi-public IWFF or a private residential IWFF, operated by any person whether that person is an owner, agent, lessee, site operator, licensee or concessionaire and intended to be used by a number of persons for recreational purposes regardless of whether a fee is charged for such use. Access is not restricted to exclusive use by person(s) of a temporary or permanent type of housing facility and their invited guests.
Semi-public IWFF. — Any interactive water feature or fountain intended to be used primarily by the occupants and their invited guests of any type of a permanent residence facility, e.g., homeowners' association, apartment house, condominium residential club, country club, and housing complex, or of a temporary residence facility, e.g., hotel, motel, and camp. An IWFF at a school, college, university, hospital, health club, or other similar institution is deemed to be a semi-public IWFF, provided that the IWFF is used primarily by persons directly associated with that school, college, university, hospital, health club, or other similar institution, and/or as a part of the scheduled activities of that school, college, university, hospital, or similar institution.
Private residential IWFF. — Any interactive water feature or fountain located on private property under the control of the owner or lessee, for recreational purposes by the members of the owner's or lessee's family and/or their invited guests. It is the express intention of this chapter that a private residential IWFF shall not be regulated herein.
NSFIANSI-50.A standard established by the National Sanitation Foundation International/American National Standard Institute that applies to chemicals, materials, systems and other products used in recreational facilities to ensure highest product acceptance and compliance in the industry.
ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential).The measure of the oxidation reduction potential of chemicals in the water. It is generally measured in millivolts by means of an electronic meter and depends upon types and concentrations of oxidizing and reducing chemicals in the water.
Ozone (O3).A gas composed of oxygen that is generated on site and used to oxidize organic matter in water.
Parts per million (ppm).A unit of measurement in chemical testing that indicates the parts by weight in relation to one million parts by weight of water. For the purposes of pool, spa and IWFF water chemistry, ppm is considered to be essentially identical to the term milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Person.Any individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, governmental agency, club, or organization of any kind.
pH.A value expressing the relative acidic or basic tendencies of a substance, such as water, as indicated by the hydrogen ion concentration. The pH is expressed as a number on the scale of 0 to 14, values less than 1 being most acidic, 1 to 6.9 being acidic, 7 being neutral, 7.1 to 14 being basic, and 14 being most basic.
Pool.Any man-made permanently installed or non-portable structure, basin, chamber, or tank containing an artificial body of water that is used for swimming, diving, aquatic sports, or other aquatic activity. The pool may be either publicly or privately owned. The term does not include a spa or a decorative fountain that is not used as a pool.
(1) Public pool. — Any pool, other than a semi-public pool or a private residential pool, operated by any person whether that person is an owner, agent, lessee, site operator, licensee, or concessionaire, and intended to be used collectively by a number of persons for swimming, diving, and/or recreational bathing regardless of whether a fee is charged for such use. Access is not restricted to exclusive use by person(s) of a temporary or permanent type of housing facility and their invited guests. Pools used for accredited aquatic events are included in this definition.
Semi-public pool. — Any pool intended to be used primarily by the occupants and their invited guests of any type of a permanent residence facility, e.g., homeowners' association, apartment house, condominium residential club, country club, and housing complex, or of a temporary residence facility, e.g., hotel, motel, and camp. A pool at a school, college, university, hospital, health club or other similar institution is deemed to be a semi-public pool, provided that the pool is used primarily by persons directly associated with that school, college, university, hospital, health club, or other similar institution, and/or as a part of the scheduled activities of that school, college, university, hospital, or similar institution, and, provided that it is not used for any accredited aquatic event.
Private residential pool. — Any pool located on private property under the control of the owner or lessee, the use of which is limited to swimming, diving, and/or recreational bathing by the members of the owner's or lessee's family and/or their invited guests. It is the express intention of this chapter that private residential swimming pools shall not be regulated herein.
Potable water.Water that meets all applicable standards for an approved drinking water source of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter
290, Public Drinking Water, Subchapter D, Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems, as amended, and 30 TAC Chapter
290, Public Drinking Water, Subchapter F, Drinking Water Standards Governing Drinking Water Quality and Reporting Requirements for Public Water Systems, as amended, or the equivalent.
An 8-inch diameter disk with alternating black and white quadrants that is lowered in the pool and spa and is used to measure water turbidity and clarity.
Site operator.An owner, business manager, complex manager, association manager, rental agent, or other individual who is in charge of the day-to-day operation or maintenance of the property. A site operator is to be readily available during hours of operation and is responsible to ensure that the pool, spa, IWFF, and the associated facilities comply with state and local design, construction, operation, and maintenance standards.
Spa.A body of water intended for the immersion of persons in either hot or cold water, circulated in a closed system, and not intended to be drained and refilled after each use. It may include, but is not limited to, hydrojet circulation, hot water, cold water, mineral baths, air induction bubbles, or any combination thereof. A spa, as is defined in this chapter, does not refer to a business establishment such as a day spa or a health spa. Industry terminology for a spa includes, but is not limited to, "hydrotherapy pool," "whirlpool," "hot spa," "hot tub," and the like.
(1) Public spa. — Any spa, other than a semi-public spa or a private residential spa, operated by any person whether that person is an owner, agent, lessee, site operator, licensee, or concessionaire, and intended to be used collectively by a number of persons for bathing or other recreational uses regardless of whether a fee is charged for such use. Access is not restricted to exclusive use by person(s) of a temporary or permanent type of housing facility and their invited guests.
Semi-public spa. — Any spa intended to be used primarily by the occupants and their invited guests of any type of a permanent residence facility, e.g., homeowners' association, apartment house, condominium residential club, country club, and housing complex, or of a temporary residence facility, e.g., hotel, motel, and camp. A spa at a school, college, university, hospital, health club, or other similar institution shall be deemed to be a semi-public spa, provided that the spa is used primarily by persons directly associated with that school, college, university, hospital, health club, or other similar institution, and/or as a part of the scheduled activities of that school, college, university, hospital, or similar institution.
Private residential spa. — Any spa located on private property under the control of the owner or lessee, the use of which is limited to bathing or other recreational uses by the members of the owner's or lessee's family and/or their invited guests. It is the express intention of this chapter that private residential spas shall not be regulated herein.
SVRS (Suction vacuum release system).Also known as safety vacuum release system, is a system capable of providing vacuum release at a suction outlet in the case of a high vacuum occurrence due to a suction outlet flow blockage. Methods include venting the suction line to atmosphere, turning off the circulation pump, or reversing the circulation flow.
Ultraviolet light (UV).Electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to the human eye with wavelengths on the border of x-rays, about four nanometers, to just beyond violet in the visible spectrum, about 380 nanometers.
Unblockable suction outlet.A suction outlet is defined as all the components, including the sump and body, cover or grate, and hardware that has a perforated (open) area that cannot be shadowed by the area of the 18 x 23-inch ANSI/APSP-16 body blocking element.
Wading pool.Any structure, basin, chamber, or tank, located either indoors or outdoors, containing an artificial body of water intended to be used by children for recreational bathing and having a water depth not greater than 18 inches at the deepest point.
(Ordinance 3670, adopted 3/17/2015; Ordinance 3848, § 2, adopted 1/23/2018; Ordinance 4190 adopted 3/5/2024)