(Mirror Daily, United States) – Starting from now, new regulations will be used in Harris County to observe and make sure that public pools are safe. These rules would require each public pool, including most of those run by apartment complexes, gymnasiums and homeowner associations and also water features like fountains to have a permit released by the county.

According to the county’s director of environmental public health, Michael Schaffer, every public pool that wants a permit needs first to be inspected by the county officials to determine whether it is by the law.

But if any rule violation is detected, the pool would have to stop its activity until the problems are fixed. After that, the pool will be reinspected, not free this time, to establish if the problems are fixed. The reinspection price starts from $200.

A public hearing was held on Tuesday by commissioners regarding the regulations, but they were not approved yet. The conference took place a few days after the Centers for Disease Control released a report concerning the U.S. public aquatic facilities that need to improve maintenance and operation. Plus, 12 percent of pools across the U.S. were closed after routine inspections found a high series of violations.

The CDC also established that drowning has often occurred at children from ages of 1 to 4, half of these deaths occurring in swimming pools. According to Schaffer, the most common form of violation was the lack of proper safety devices, incorrect pH levels, and poor sanitization.

Initially, there were conducted pool closures and inspections only based on complaints from customers. One and a half year ago, the county began conducting inspections on a regular basis to gather information and to establish a proper set of regulations.

During this time, inspectors made a total of 800 inspections and closed 21 percent of pools, way more than the national 12 percent average. Hopefully, the new set of regulations will be approved, and public pools will become safer places not only for adults but also for children who need the most protection.

It will also be good for the owners because many people will come to public pools that obey the rules and provide every service that the customer needs.

Image Source:Youtube