Florida’s warm sunny climate, gorgeous beaches, rivers and lakes make the Sunshine State a center for swimming fun and a popular destination for tourists. Now the swimming safety of the 19.5 million Florida residents and over 100 million tourists who visit the state each year and who use public pools or spas may be impacted by a recent legislative change.
For about the last century, the Department of Health (DOH) has been responsible for the proper inspection of public pools and spas, including those located in hotels. The DOH has had the responsibility to inspect public pools every other year to ensure water quality and sanitation along with properly functioning fences and gates, safe ladders, visible depth markers, covered drain grates and GFCI protection.
In 2012, lawmakers withdrew the DOH authority over building and construction items, reasoning that it was an overlap with construction inspection. This left the legislation unclear, leaving it open to interpretation whether the DOH is still responsible for inspecting the safety of ladders, signage, drains and more. The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee (JAPC) has interpreted the legislature to mean that the DOH is only responsible for water quality and sanitation. This would leave the building departments with the responsibility for building and construction inspections of pools and spas, something they have not done routinely.
As a member of the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA), we support the effort to reinstate the inspections. It’s an important issue as the Governor will be deciding how to interpret the new legislation before the end of the summer. For more information and to learn how you can make a difference, visit keepsafepools.com.