Watershed Management Bureau

  Public Bathing Facility Program

The intent of this DES program is to protect public health and safety at public recreational facilities which include swimming pools, wading pools, spas, water slides, scholastic competition pools, and at hotel, motel and condominium pools. No person shall install, operate, or maintain a public bathing facility unless the construction, design, and physical specifications have received prior approval. PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL POOLS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS PROGRAM. The state currently monitors conditions at more than 1200 bathing facilities.

Standards of design have been established by DES to ensure that water quality is regularly sampled and analyzed, that construction designs provide for safe use, and that scheduled maintenance is regularly performed and recorded by the operator. If any of these standards are violated, a pool, spa or water slide may be closed by DES or the local health officer until corrective measures have been completed. Sanitary operating conditions at pools and spas can often be restored to acceptable standards by working with DES staff to make changes to the filtration or disinfection processes. However, in some cases, closing the facility until water sampling and analysis confirm the elimination of the unsanitary condition may be required.

For questions regarding safety and water quality, as well as swimming pool design and construction, contact DES's Public Bathing Facility Program at 603-271-7108, or email pools@des.state.nh.us.

See also DES Environmental Fact Sheet:
Fecal Accidents - A Protocol for Public Bathing Facilities