Public Commons

• We have reviewed 7 laws, policies and guidelines that effect wading pools. That's a lot to consider.

Part of A Bird's Eye View: When Lively Parks meet the Rules HIDDEN Policies Wading Pools & Splash Pads

Here are the laws, policies and guidelines we have come across so far that contain the rules about wading pools.

The Health Protection and Promotion Act

Ontario Public Spa Regulation 428/05

Ontario Public Pool Regulation 565/90

Ontario Public Health Standards -Safe Water website

Recreational Water Protocol website

Ontario Public Health Standards Legislative Authority for the Ontario Public Health Standards and Incorporated Protocols - website

Operating Procedures for Non-Regulated Recreational Water Facilities Guide Operating Procedures for Non-Regulated Recreational Water Facilities Guide

Criteria for closing a wading pool - This document was given to CELOS in 2011 by the assistant to Councillor Bailao. The assistant has not been able to find out from city staff if these criteria were generated by the Ministry of Health Long Term Care, or the City.

When provincial Health Ministry staff wrote new rules for wading pools, they unwittingly overrode a deliberate decision by our elected Cabinet Ministers - that wading pools are not to be regulated like public swimming pools.

Devising unauthorized new rules is expensive - and the costs are largely buried. What did all of the staff time to create the host of current wading pool rules cost? Are these and the accompanying enforcement and training costs recorded - as clear budget items - when we discuss wading pool costs?

1. Untracked costs leave us with an incomplete slate of our real public spending options. We are not asked to decide between: the costs of bureaucratic rule-making, administration and enforcement alongside neighbourhood priorities - such as longer opening hours; staffing the pools with friendly, experienced staff; pool upkeep and repair.
2. Each new set of rules spawns new rules and new training requirements.
3. Running our popular wading pools is harder and harder because new training requirements are continually added, taking people away from the real job of running the pools well.=

CELOS' has looked in more detail at a number of these documents.

Additional links

Aquantum

Chlorine no greater than 5mg/l and no less than 3 mg/l

website

Life Saving Society

Because wading pools have a small water volume and are used by very young children, the Lifesaving Society recommends maintaining higher levels of chlorine disinfectant than the minimums used for swimming pools. The Society recommends maintaining a minimum Free Available Chlorine (FAC) of 3.0 – 5.0 ppm at all times. Frequent testing is required to verify that the required FAC and pH levels are maintained - every 4 hours or more frequently depending on bather load.

website

Regulatory View: Wading Pools

Setup: 23-Oct-2011 by Belinda Cole [762]