Aquatic Health & Safety
Public Swimming Pools, Bathing Beaches,
and Recreational Aquatic Spray Grounds
Children, adults and families enjoy swimming and playing in recreational waters, especially during the hot summer months. Tens of thousands of residents and visitors of Rockland patron our public pools, spas, bathing beaches, and recreational spray grounds every year. The popularity of aquatic activities are growing and we currently have hundreds regulated facilities and operations in our county. Improper design, operation and/or supervision of bathing facilities can create hazards that endanger public health and safety.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that "for children ages 1-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death." The CDC lists lack of supervision and lack of barriers as some of the main factors that affect drowning risk. Many of our public pools, including those at day camps, are enjoyed by children and it is imperative that these facilities provide a safe environment for what can potentially be a dangerous activity. In addition to safety concerns, improper operation can lead to disease outbreaks and recreational water illnesses (RWIs). RWIs can be caused from germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols, or having contact with contaminated water in bathing facilities. RWIs can also be caused by chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems (for more information on RWIs visit the CDC website). Proper operation, treatment, and facility design can reduce RWI risks.
The dedicated staff that implement our program are responsible for regulating the public bathing facilities to protect patrons for injury, illness, and death. The primary program activities include routine comprehensive facility inspections; periodic facility safety plan review and approval; drowning incident investigation; coordination of formal enforcement action; permitting operation at facilities and closing facilities when public health hazards exist; review and approval of engineering design and installation for new systems; complaint response and investigation; and providing technical guidance to owners, operators, lifeguards, contractors and consultants.
These efforts ensure that our bathing facilities are being operated, supervised, designed, and installed in accordance with the regulations that are in place to protect health and safety. Our staff immediately close any operation that violates code requirements that present a public health hazard. Our goal is to have zero drowning incidents, near drowning incidents, and recreational water disease outbreaks in Rockland. Should these incidents occur, our staff is trained to investigate, in coordination with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), to identify and respond to the causes and provide a safe bather environment.
The minimum standards for the regulated swimming pools, bathing beaches and recreational aquatic spray ground are set by the NYSDOH. These regulations are implemented and enforced locally by the Rockland County Department of Health. We are compelled to do everything we can to prevent injury and illness related to bathing facilities in Rockland County.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Helpful Resources:
- Blue-Green algae information from the NYSDOH
- Pool safety information from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Recreational water illness information from the CDC
- Unintentional drowning information from the CDC
- Regulations, guidance and forms for regulated facilities from the NYSDOH
Forms & Applications
- Application for Approval of Plans and Specifications
- Application for Permit to Operate a Bathing Facility (DOH-3915)
- Aquatic Spray Grounds Safety Plan Template (DOH-4474)
- Engineering Report for Swimming Pool Plans (DOH-1309)
- New Pool Submission Requirements
- Notice of Intent to Construct, Enlarge or Convert a Facility (DOH-154)
- Report on Operation of Swimming Pool (DOH-1323)
- Swimming Pool Plan Review Checklist (DOH-2434)
- Swimming Pool Safety Plan Template (DOH-4472)