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Swimming pools and aquatic facilities
An aquatic facility is a man-made body of water used for sport, recreation or educational or therapeutic water activities, which generally include:
- swimming pools for exercise, recreation, hydrotherapy/therapeutic benefits and effects, leisure, diving, SCUBA dive training, wading, also wave pools
- spa pools
- river rides
- water slides and
- water playgrounds
Legislation definitions of “aquatic facility” and “water body” are found within the Health (Aquatic Facility) Regulation 2007 (the regulations).
The Aquatic Facility Regulations only apply to aquatic facilities available for public use, not domestic swimming pools. This includes municipal aquatic/recreation centres, theme parks, schools, learn-to-swim centres, tourism venues (resorts, hotels, motels, caravan parks, bed & breakfast, chalets, recreational campsites and farm stays), health clubs, physiotherapy centres, mine sites, places of adult entertainment, retirement/lifestyle villages and body corporate premises with ≥ 30 units/apartments.
Information on domestic pools and spas is limited, although further resources will be made available in the future.
Aquatic Facilities Guidance Materials
Department of Health WA
- Code of Practice
- Guidelines
- Aquatic Updates
- Guidance Notes and presentations
- Department of Health (WA) forms, fact sheets and checklists
- Aquatic Facility Personnel Training/Qualifications
- General advice
- Related websites
Spray-grounds/spray-parks are also captured as an aquatic facility water body, if they form part of an existing or new aquatic facility. Spray-grounds/spray-parks in isolation however, are not currently captured by the regulations, however are subject to DOH, local government and industry review. Information on the Interactive Water Fountains (Water Playgrounds Spraygrounds)is available from the Department of Health website.
It is likely that once discussions and review of these guidelines is complete that they will be adopted into the Code of Practice for the Design, Management, Construction, Operation, Management and Maintenance of Aquatic Facilities (the Code).
The primary applicable information available in relation to public aquatic facilities includes: the regulations and the Code of Practice for the Design, Construction, Operation, Management and Maintenance of Aquatic Facilities.
The regulations can be downloaded free of charge from the State Law Publisher website or purchased from their office located at 10 William Street Perth.
For more information contact:
Brad Roberts, Environmental Assistant
- Hours
- Mon - Fri: 8.00am to 4.30pm
- Telephone
- 08 9780 5245
- Fax
- 08 9757 2512