All licensed aquatic venues must follow the requirements laid out in Licensing Aquatic Venues (216-RICR-50-05-4) (the Regulations). Read this webpage for a rundown of the requirements for operating a licensed aquatic venue.
Annual Inspections
Inspections can identify deficiencies and evaluate critical components to ensure safe aquatic venue operation. They can highlight structural, equipment, and safety issues for aquatic venue operators. Inspections must be completed each year using the Annual Self-Inspection Checklist (instructions, checklist form). Some issues require the venue to be closed; refer to the instructions for more information.
Daily Water Quality Parameter (WQP) Logs
Daily Water Quality Parameter (WQP) logs are used to help ensure water in an aquatic venue is safe for bathers. Aquatic venue operators must regularly do a visual check for water clarity and collect and analyze water samples. Use the Daily WQP Log Sheet to determine how often to check water quality, record results, and indicate required closures.
Requirements for WQP logs vary by treatment type:
Aquatic venues that use chlorine-based disinfectant must test free available chlorine, combined available chlorine, and pH.
Aquatic venues using a manual disinfectant feed system must check and log WQPs prior to opening to bathers and every two (2) hours while open to bathers.
Aquatic venues using an automated disinfectant feed system must check WQPs prior to opening and every four (4) hours while open to bathers.
Water Clarity
Water clarity must be visually checked. It is sufficient if a marker tile or floor suction outlet are visible when the water is still. If the aquatic venue does not have a floor suction outlet or marker tiles, contact RIDOH to determine an alternative method of observing water clarity.
Required WQP Ranges
Traditional swimming pools, non-traditional pools, and wading pools using a chlorine disinfectant
Water Quality Parameter (WQP)
Minimum
Ideal
Maximum
Free chlorine residual (parts per million, ppm) for indoor traditional swimming pools, indoor non-traditional pools, and indoor wading pools
1.0
2.0 - 4.0
10.0
Free chlorine residual (ppm) for outdoor traditional swimming pools, outdoor non-traditional pools, and outdoor wading pools not using cyanuric acid or stabilized chlorine
1.0
2.0 - 4.0
10.0
Free chlorine residual (ppm) for outdoor traditional swimming pools, outdoor non-traditional swimming pools, and outdoor wading pools using cyanuric acid or stabilized chlorine
2.0
2.0 - 8.0
10.0
Combined Chlorine (ppm)
0.0
0.0
0.2
pH
7.2
7.4 - 7.6
7.8
Hot tubs, spas and therapeutic pools using a chlorine disinfectant
WQP
Minimum
Ideal
Maximum
Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit)
Personal preference
104
Free chlorine residual (ppm) for all hot tubs, spas and therapeutic pools
2.0
3.0 - 5.0
10.0
Combined chlorine (ppm)
0.0
0.0
0.2
pH
7.2
7.4 - 7.6
7.8
Traditional swimming pools, non-traditional pools, and wading pools using a bromine disinfectant
HPC sampling is necessary to determine the sanitary conditions of licensed aquatic venues. While the bacteria identified by HPC sampling are not necessarily harmful, high HPC counts are an indicator of issues with disinfection performance and water treatment. All licensed aquatic venues are required to perform HPC sampling.
Aquatic venue operators must close the effected aquatic venue immediately upon notification that the HPC result for a water sample exceeds 200 colony forming units (CFU). The aquatic venue must remain closed until such time the operator has restored water quality and has provided evidence of such to RIDOH.
Aquatic venue operators must collect one water sample every 90 days (once per quarter) from each year-round aquatic venue for heterotrophic plate count analysis by a laboratory certified for Method 9215B.
Laboratories certified for water testing in Rhode Island can be found online here.
The quarters are as follows: January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December.
Take WQP measurements before collecting HPC samples. Be sure to record free chlorine residual, combined chlorine, and pH on WQP Logs and on the chain of custody forms for the HPC samples. If WQPs are out of range, close the aquatic venue until WQPs are within range, then perform HPC sampling.
Aquatic venue operators must collect one water sample from each seasonal aquatic venue in June and one water sample from each seasonal aquatic venue in August for HPC analysis by a laboratory certified for Method 9215B. Laboratories certified for water testing in Rhode Island can be found online here.
Take WQP measurements before collecting HPC samples. Be sure to record free chlorine residual, combined chlorine, and pH on the chain of custody forms for the HPC samples. If WQPs are out of range, close the aquatic venue until WQPs are within range, then perform HPC sampling.
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act
The goal of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) is to prevent injury and drownings caused by drain entrapment in swimming pools and spas. All aquatic venues must demonstrate compliance with the Act. This must be done initially during the engineering review and annually by submitting the VGBA Annual Attestation.
Aquatic venues that do not meet the VGBA requirements must close until compliance with VGBA is met. Aquatic venues are out compliance with VGBA if they do not have all appropriate VGBA components installed or have VGBA components that are cracked, broken, do not meet ANSI/APSP-16 2017, or otherwise do not meet the VGBA requirements.
For more information about VGBA components, including what to look for on the components to ensure compliance and information about secondary anti-entrapment devices or systems, see the letter and attachments Pool and Spa Drain Cover Safety from CPSC.
Cover Replacement
If an aquatic venue replaces a VGBA compliant cover with the same (also called in-kind) cover, the aquatic venue must fill out In-Kind Replacement form and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Certification form (Substantial Alteration, Non-Substantial Alteration) and submit the forms to RIDOH. Alternatively, the aquatic venue can hire a licensed Rhode Island Professional Engineer (PE), choose a different cover (not in-kind), and submit the appropriate forms. Please see the section below for more information.
Engineering Review
The first step in ensuring the safety of an aquatic venue is proper design and construction. Updates to an existing licensed aquatic venue or the design of a new licensed aquatic venue must undergo engineering review with RIDOH. All engineering applications must be submitted with plans signed and stamped by a licensed Rhode Island Registered Professional Engineer (PE). Plan review and conformance inspection can be performed by RIDOH or by the PE submitting the application. For more information about aquatic venue engineering review and for guidance from RIDOH in the use of the appropriate forms and documentation, see the Aquatic Venue Licensing page.
Water Safety and Drowning Prevention
Swimming lessons can save lives. Almost 40 million adults in the United States do not know how to swim, and over half have never taken a swimming lesson. Please see the Water Safety USA Action Plan for guidance on improving the accessibility of swimming lessons and striving to prevent drownings.
Rhode Island Department of Health