Public swimming pools and spas are defined by the Public Health Act 2010 as pools where the public are admitted, whether free of charge, on payment of a fee or otherwise. These include pools located at:
- clubs
- workplaces
- hotels
- guest houses
- resorts, holiday units, or similar facility for the use of guests
- schools
- hospitals
It does not include pools situated at private residential premises (unless the pool is used by members of the public, such as learn-to-swim pools.)
All operators of public swimming pools and spa pools are required to notify the City of the pool or spa. This form must also be submitted to us within 7 days of any changes to the particulars (e.g. pool owners, pool manager etc.).
You can do this by submitting the online form below. There are no notification fees.
Notification of Public Pools and Spas
All operators of public pools must ensure the water quality requirements set out in Schedule 1 Public Health Regulation are being met. This is critical to ensure patrons swimming in your pool are kept safe from diseases which can be transmitted through poorly disinfected pools. The information provided below can help you to meet your obligations.
A pool or spa that is not disinfected as specified in Schedule 1, must not be open for public use.
All public pools and spas must be tested and the results recorded at least once a day when the pool is operating.
The type of testing required varies for different types of pools.
The fact sheet below provides a useful summary of pool water testing requirements.
Public-Pools-Help-Sheet-Water-Testing.doc(DOC, 38KB)
Please ensure all records are available on site, and are kept for at least 6 months. Environmental Health Officers will ask for these records during routine inspections or complaint investigations.
Testing equipment
All operators must have a suitable pool testing kit on site and the appropriate knowledge to be able to use it.
While many pool shops can test water and assist with information on water balance, it is not suitable to take a sample to them every day instead of undertaking your own daily sampling.
The City recognises photometers as a suitable type of pool testing kit. These are electronic test kits which use light and chemical reagents to test water quality parameters. Colorimetric (colour based) dropper kits and test strips are not acceptable because they are not considered accurate enough for testing public pools.
Template log sheets
Operators can use these templates to record water testing results.
Continuous Metered Pool - Weekly Sample Log Sheet(DOC, 20KB)
Automatic-Disinfection-Dosing-System-Pool-Weekly-Sample-Log-Sheet(DOC, 21KB)
Public pools are routinely inspected by our Environmental Health Officers.
During the inspection, our Officers will test the water, review sampling records, and assess the skills and knowledge of pool operators.
Public Pools are placed on an inspection frequency of every 6 months, 12 months or 18 months.
The frequency of inspections is based on a risk framework that considers the type of premises, how much the pool gets used, confidence in the pool operator and compliance history for the pool.
Fees are charged for these inspections, see our fees and charges.