TITLE L
WATER MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

CHAPTER 485-A
WATER POLLUTION AND WASTE DISPOSAL

Safety Regulations for Pools and Bathing Places

Section 485-A:26

    485-A:26 Swimming Pools and Bathing Places Public Bathing Facilities. –
I. In this section:
(a) "Pool" means a man-made structure and associated pump, filter, drain, and electrical equipment that is used for recreational or therapeutic bathing, swimming, diving, or other contact with the water such as by wading, splashing, tubing, or sliding. "Pool" shall include, but is not limited to, swimming pools, therapy pools, spas, special recreation pools, slides, and tubing courses, at hotels, motels, health facilities, water parks, condominium complexes, apartment complexes, youth recreation camps, public parks, and recreational campgrounds or camping parks as defined in RSA 216-I:1, VII. "Pool" shall not include any pool, spa, or other pool that serves 3 or fewer living units and is used only by the residents of the living units and their guests, and does not include baptismal fonts or similar structures owned by a religious organization and used for religious rituals.
(b) "Public bathing facility" means a pool that is operated by or for any governmental subdivision, public or private corporation, partnership, association, or educational institution and that is open to the public, members, or students, whether for a fee or free.
II. (a) No person shall construct or install, operate or maintain an artificial swimming pool or bathing place open to and used by the public, or as a part of a business venture, or a public bathing facility unless the construction, design, and physical specifications of such pool or bathing place have received prior approval from the department. The department shall charge a non-refundable design review fee of $100 for a pool 400 square feet in area and an additional $25 for every additional 100 square feet. The fee shall be paid to the department upon submission of such plans for review. Fees collected under this paragraph shall be deposited in the public bathing facility program fund.
(b) Effective January 1, 2020, no person shall operate or maintain a public bathing facility unless the facility is registered with the department under this section. The owner of a public bathing facility shall register the facility using a form provided by the department. If all of the requirements for the form are adopted in narrative rules, the form shall not be subject to RSA 541-A.
(c) The owner of a public bathing facility that existed as of January 1, 2019 shall register within 60 days of the effective date of this provision. All other public bathing facilities shall register prior to initiating operations. The owner or operator of the facility shall report any changes in the information provided under subparagraph (b) within 10 days of the change.
(d) The registration required under this section shall be valid for the life of the facility. The owner shall notify the department in writing that the facility has closed within 30 days of the closure. The notice of closure shall include the date of such closure.
III. The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to safety standards to protect persons using said facilities. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect the powers of local health officers or the department of health and human services, with respect to nuisances.

[Paragraph IV effective until satisfaction of the contingency contained in 2025, 245:4; see also paragraph IV set out below.]


IV. The department may take samples of the water of any such public bathing facility for analysis to determine compliance with water quality requirements. The costs of such sampling and analysis shall be paid by the owner or operator of such facility. The costs recovered for such sampling shall be deposited in the public bathing facility program fund. The costs recovered for analysis shall be consistent with the fee structure established in RSA 131:3-a and deposited as provided in RSA 131:3-a. Any municipality which establishes a program of sampling and analysis which is equivalent to the department's program shall not be subject to additional sampling and analysis by the department.

[Paragraph IV effective upon satisfaction of the contingency contained in 2025, 245:4; see also paragraph IV set out above.]


IV. The department may take samples of the water of any such public bathing facility for analysis to determine compliance with water quality requirements. The costs of such sampling and analysis shall be paid by the owner or operator of such facility. The costs recovered for such sampling shall be deposited in the public bathing facility program fund. The costs recovered for analysis shall be consistent with the fee structure established pursuant to RSA 131:4 and deposited as provided in RSA 131:4. Any municipality which establishes a program of sampling and analysis which is equivalent to the department's program shall not be subject to additional sampling and analysis by the department.
V. There is hereby established a public bathing facility program fund. This separate, nonlapsing fund shall be continually appropriated to the department and used to administer the public bathing facility program under this chapter. Fees collected by the department shall be deposited with the state treasurer to the credit of such fund and may be invested as provided by law. Interest received on such investment shall also be credited to the fund.

Source. 1989, 339:1. 1990, 3:88. 1995, 310:181. 1996, 228:79. 1997, 267:1, eff. July 1, 1997. 2019, 346:124, eff. July 1, 2019. 2025, 245:3, eff. contingent.