Florida Pool Pro
sm
• October 2014
9
New public pool permitting process - Are
you ready?
By Jennifer Hatfield, FSPA Government Relations Consultant /
Effective October 1, 2014, per HB 7147 (the omnibus energy and building
code bill), an application for an operating permit with the Department of Health
is required before filing an application for a building permit for construction
of public pools or spas. The intent of this change is to make sure the county
health departments are aware that a public swimming pool or spa is being
constructed or modified and to better communication between the contractor,
CHDs and building departments. Further, the years of swimming pool plan
review experience that the health departments have can be a valuable resource
to both the contractor and building department.
It is important to note that the legislation was written in a way to ensure there
is not a delay in construction - meaning the operating permit, when first applied
for, will be incomplete but will allow the building department to proceed with
the construction permit review process once they receive information from the
CHD that the applicant has applied. The building department will ensure that
the public swimming pool or spa being built or modified meets all applicable
building code requirements and the CHD will provide any significant violations
it finds to the applicant and building department.
Both the Department of
Health and the Building
Officials of Florida are in
the process of finalizing
guidance documents
t o exp l a i n t h i s new
process step by step.
The DOH documentation
can be found at www.
floridahealth.gov/%5C/
environmental-heal th/
swimming-pools/index.
html.
REGULATIONS UPDATE
