The Douglas County Health Department is urging anyone with a swimming pool in their yard to make sure they are operating properly and have a fence around them.
“Every year, we receive multiple complaints about backyard pools without fences,” health director Dr. Adi Pour says. “This is a serious safety concern. Backyard, above-ground swimming pools that are greater than 24 inches in depth must have a fence or wall around the pool and a permit from the health department."
In-ground pools are required to have a fence that is 5 feet 7 inches tall, while above-ground pools need a 48-inch high fence. Both types of pools need a self-closing latch at least 45 inches above the ground.
A 48-inch high pool may qualify as a barrier, if the access ladder is enclosed by a fence of the same height. Dr. Pour says many above-ground pools that fall under this ordinance can be purchased at local retailers and too often are installed without the proper permit or fence.
Drowning remains a major public health concern. The CDC reports in its most recent data that drowning accidents claimed an average of 10 lives a day in the United States. Boating-related drownings claimed almost one more life daily.