[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Watervliet 4-20-1972 as Art. III of Ch. 6 of the Code of Ordinances of 1972.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Zoning — See Ch. 272.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A receptacle for water or an artificial pool of water intended
for the purpose of immersion or partial immersion therein of human
beings, and including all appurtenant equipment. Childrens' wading
pools are omitted from this definition.
It shall be unlawful to construct, maintain,
install or enlarge any swimming pool in the city, except in compliance
with all the provisions of this chapter.
It shall be unlawful to proceed with the construction,
installation, enlargement or alteration of any private residential
swimming pool and appurtenances within the city, unless a permit therefor
shall have first been obtained from the Inspector of Buildings.
A.
All drawings and plans for the construction, installation,
enlargement or alteration of any swimming pool and appurtenances shall
first be presented to the Inspector of Buildings for examination and
approval as to proper location and construction.
B.
All plans and drawings shall be drawn to scale of
not less than one-eighth (1/8) of an inch to the foot, on paper or
cloth, in ink or by some process that will not fade or be obliterated.
All distances and dimensions shall be accurately figured and drawings
made explicit and complete, showing the lot line, existing building
on the property and including information pertaining to the pool,
walk and fence construction, water supply system, drainage and water
disposal systems and all appurtenances pertaining to the swimming
pool. Detail plans and vertical elevations shall be provided as required
by the Building Department.
[Amended 9-5-1996 by Ord.
No. 1638]
C.
All private residential swimming pools, appurtenances,
water supply and drainage systems shall be constructed in conformity
with the approved plans.
[Amended 9-5-1996 by Ord.
No. 1638; 4-18-2019 by Ord. No. 2000]
The fee for a permit required by this chapter shall be 1% of
the cost of the project; minimum of $50.
No portion of a swimming pool outside a building
shall be located at a distance less than eight (8) feet from any side
or rear property line or building line. Pumps, filters and pool water
disinfection equipment installations shall be located at a distance
not less than eight (8) feet from any side property line.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391]
In-ground swimming pools shall be designed to
withstand the water pressure from within and to resist the pressure
of the earth when the pool is empty to a pressure of two thousand
two hundred (2,200) pounds per square foot. Adequate slope shall be
provided for the bottom of the pool.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391]
In-ground swimming pool walls and floors shall
be constructed of any impervious material which will provide a tight
tank with white or light colored finish and easily cleaned surfaces.
The floor or bottom surface of the pool shall have a nonslip finish,
as smooth as possible. The side and end walls of a pool shall present
a smooth finish and shall have adequate depth and curvature.
A.
All swimming pools shall be of the recirculation type
in which circulation of the water is maintained through the pool by
pumps, with the water drawn from the pool being clarified and disinfected
before being returned to the pool.
B.
The swimming pool recirculation systems shall consist
of pumping equipment, hair and lint catcher, filters, together with
the necessary pipe connections to the pool inlets and outlets, facilities
and pipe connections necessary for backwashing filters and facilities
and equipment for disinfecting the pool water.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391]
A.
In-ground pools. All in-ground swimming pools shall
have walk areas not less than thirty-six (36) inches wide, extending
entirely around the pool. The walk area shall be constructed of impervious
material, and the surface shall be such as to be smooth and easily
cleaned and of nonslip construction. The slope of the walks shall
have a pitch design so as to prevent back drainage from entering the
pool.
B.
Aboveground pools. Pools constructed above the ground
with a walk deck shall have a walk deck no less than twenty-four (24)
inches in width, which shall be constructed of a noncorrosive material,
wood or metal, and the surface shall be such as to be smooth and easily
cleaned and of nonslip construction. The walk deck must be completely
protected by a guardrail or fence.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391; 9-5-1996 by Ord. No. 1638]
Fencing requirements shall be as provided in
the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code,[1] with an exception to Section 744.2 of the code. All aboveground
pools require an appropriate fence.
[Amended 8-19-1982 by Ord. No. 1391]
Two (2) or more means of egress in the form
of steps or ladders shall be provided for all in-ground swimming pools.
At least one (1) such means of egress shall be located on a side of
the pool at both the deep end and shallow end of the pool. Treads
of steps and ladders shall be constructed of nonslip material and
at least three (3) inches wide for their full length. Steps and ladders
shall have a handrail on both sides.
In every swimming pool, at least one (1) skimming
device shall be provided for each eight hundred (800) square feet
of surface area or fraction thereof. Skimmers shall be located at
least thirty (30) feet apart. Handholds shall be provided and consist
of a bull-nosed coping or an equivalent approved handhold. The handhold
must be not more than nine (9) inches above the normal water line.
Skimming devices shall be built into the pool wall and shall adequately
remove floated oils and waste.
No source of water other than that secured from
the city waterworks distribution system shall be used in swimming
pools.
A.
Swimming pool water recirculation system inlets shall
be located so as to produce so far as possible uniform circulation
of water throughout the pool without the existence of dead spots and
to carry pool bottom deposits to the outlets and shall discharge at
a minimum depth of ten (10) inches below the pool overflow level.
B.
Pools shall be equipped with suitable facilities for
adding makeup water as needed. There shall be no physical connection
between the water supply line and the pool system.
A.
In swimming pools thirty (30) feet in width or less,
water circulation system outlets shall be located so as to provide
at least one (1) outlet at the deepest point in the pool. If the pool
width is more than thirty (30) feet, multiple outlets shall be provided
and spaced not more than thirty (30) feet apart, nor closer than four
(4) feet to any wall. The gratings shall be of such design so they
cannot be readily removable by bathers and will not injure bathers'
fingers.
B.
Pools shall be equipped with facilities for completely
emptying the pool, and the discharge of the pool water to the sewer
shall be at a rate not exceeding two hundred (200) gallons per minute.
No direct connection shall be made to the sewer.
C.
Water drained from the pool shall not be discharged
to the sewer system during periods of rain or storms. At no time shall
the rate of drain water discharge exceed a flow of two hundred (200)
gallons per minute.
B.
No current-carrying electrical conductors shall cross
private residential swimming pools, either overhead or underground
or within fifteen (15) feet of such pools.
C.
All metal fences, enclosures or railings near or adjacent
to swimming pools which might become electrically alive as a result
of contact with broken overhead conductors or from any other cause
shall be effectively grounded.
Each swimming pool shall be equipped with one
(1) or more throwing-ring buoys not more than fifteen (15) inches
in diameter and having sixty (60) feet of three-sixteenths-inch manila
line attached, and one (1) or more light but strong poles with blunted
ends and not less than twelve (12) feet in length for making reach
assists or rescues.
The Inspector of Buildings shall periodically
inspect all swimming pools to determine whether or not the provisions
of this Code regarding health, sanitation and safety applicable thereto
are being met.
