Texas Adopts International Swimming Pool and Spa Code

From staff reports

Thinking about building a new pool? You may find some new hoops to jump through in the next couple of years, thanks to a new bill signed into law in Texas.

The Texas legislature passed HB 2858 in the last legislative session. The bill allows municipalities in the state to require model standards for building, remodeling and repairing pools and spas.

The legislature adopted the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), which was developed by the International Code Council in partnership with the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (formerly the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals and the National Swimming Pool Foundation).

It is the only model code that addresses design and building requirements for public and residential pools and spas, including safety barriers, sanitation, ladders/steps, depth markers and energy efficiency.

Pool safety is one of the Code Council’s top priorities, and it is a member of Pool Safely, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s national public education campaign to reduce childhood drownings, submersion injuries and entrapments.

“The Code Council applauds the passage of the ISPSC in Texas,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “The safety requirements stipulated in the code will help reduce the risk of drowning, especially for children, and of entrapment incidents.”

The passage of the bill was supported by the Texas Pool and Spa Coalition, whose members include contractors from across the state.

“The Texas pool and spa industry is committed to working with the many municipalities and jurisdictions to adopt these standards, which help make all of the state’s pools and spas safer. We have 254 counties in Texas, not to mention some of the largest cities in the country, and it is pool and spa season almost year round. This means we must make ensuring the safety, health, and efficiency of pools and spas one of our top priorities,” said Will Ainsworth, Texas Pool and Spa Coalition.

Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill on June 14, and the law will go into effect in September 2020; however, municipalities can adopt the standards prior to that date.

To see more about the new code, click here.