Commercial Pool Compliance and Regulations

Florida Building Code (FBC) And Florida Department of Health (FDOH)

In 2012, major changes in how commercial pools and spas in Florida are regulated occurred, with the Florida Building Code (Building, Chapter 4, Section 454.1) as the primary construction compliance document, and local building departments the primary approval, regulating and enforcement agency for all new pool/spa construction and modifications. The FBC is revised every three years and the newest version is called the FBC Sixth Edition, and goes into effect January 1st, 2018,. It will not be revised again until 2021. This newest version has many changes for commercial pools and spas.

The FDOH regulates the health and safety aspects of a commercial pool or spa, issuing operating permits for new projects, as well as existing. The regulating document is called 64E-9 (FS 514, Section 64E-9).  Every Florida pool and spa is inspected by the FDOH semi-annually, and a written report provided to the pool owner.

Essig Pools is very familiar with all the FBC and FDOH compliance codes and can assist you with any non-compliant violation notices you receive from the city building department, city code enforcement department, or the Health Department.

Safety Inspections and Upgrades

In December 2007, the US government passed a national pool and spa safety law to minimize the likelihood of human entrapment, evisceration or drowning in public or private swimming pools. Any commercial pool in the state of Florida that doesn’t comply with these new statutes will be subject to fines, closure and/or further legal action by state and federal authorities.

The safest and fastest way to determine if your pool meets the new state and federal guidelines is to schedule a safety inspection by a trained industry expert.

Essig Pools specializes in commercial pool safety inspections and retrofits in South Florida. Specific upgrades include:

• Safety Drain Covers
• Gravity Feed Systems
• Safety Vacuum Release Systems

To determine if your commercial pool complies with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, please call our office at (305) 949-0000. We will arrange a safety inspection to determine what actions, if any, are required to keep your commercial pool open and operating.

SAFETY DRAIN COVERS

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool Safety Act mandates that all commercial pools be upgraded with federally compliant drain covers by December 2008 or be subject to fines and closure. Most commercial pools will require an on-site inspection to determine if the drain cover is in compliance. In some cases, retrofit may be possible with a commercially available drain cover. In other cases, a field-fabricated retrofit may be required. Call Essig Pools to determine if your drain covers are compliant.

GRAVITY FEED SYSTEMS

New laws mandate that all commercial pools in the state of Florida must be equipped with a gravity feed system. If your pool was built after 1974, it should already be in compliance. If your commercial pool was built before 1974, then you should have an Essig professional inspect your pool to determine if it needs to be converted to a gravity feed system.

SAFETY VACUUM RELEASE SYSTEMS

The Association Of Pool And Spa Professionals recommends ‘multiple layers of protection’ to keep everyone safe around a swimming pool. A Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) does exactly that. It automatically releases the vacuum if a drain or other suction fitting is blocked. At Essig Pools, we recommend multi-speed pumps with the SVRS built-in, for added safety.

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