Big Bear Lake Municipal Code Art. II Public Bathing Places

The owner of any proposed public bathing place shall submit plans and specifications for the proposed facilities to the health officer for his review and approval in advance of the issuance of any building or plumbing permit for the facilities to be constructed, or, if no building or plumbing permit is required, then in advance of construction. In addition to plans and specifications, the owner shall submit whatever additional data the local health officer may request to permit him to determine if the proposed facilities comply with these regulations. Facilities shall be built according to approved plans unless changes are approved in writing by the health officer. The owner shall notify the health officer of the completion of the works at least one week in advance of placing the works in operation.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Design, construction, operation and maintenance of facilities of public bathing places or natural bathing places shall be such as to reduce to a minimum hazards of drowning, injury and transmission of disease.

A. Operation shall be under the close supervision of one or more experienced operators.

B. Records shall be kept as required by the local health officer to show the degree of compliance with these regulations.

C. Records shall be kept on the premises and readily available for inspection by the health officer.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

A safe and adequate water supply shall be available for all domestic purposes.

A. Water supplies shall be from a community water system holding a permit granted by the state or local health department.

B. Water delivered to any shower, lavatory, drinking fountain or faucet shall comply with U.S. Public Health Service "Drinking Water Standards, 1962," as to source and protection and as to bacteriological quality.

C. The water shall be delivered in sufficient quantity and with sufficient pressure to assure the satisfactory functioning of all fixtures served by the water supply.

D. Connections between the drinking water systems and other systems containing water that is not approved as safe and potable for human consumption shall be provided with satisfactory backflow prevention devices to protect the drinking water system.

E. Sanitary drinking fountain utilizing the slant jet principle with surrounding guard shall be provided.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Floors and walks of shower, locker, dressing and toilet rooms, and walls adjacent thereto shall be constructed and maintained so that they will, at all times, be safe and sanitary.

A. Floors and walls of shower, locker, dressing and toilet rooms shall be smooth, washable material capable of withstanding repeated flushing with a hose.

B. Partitions shall be waterproofed to a height of twelve inches above the floor or terminate at least eight inches above the floor.

C. Open cracks and depressions in floors shall be repaired promptly.

D. Floors and walks shall be hosed down daily.

E. Floors and walks of change rooms, dressing rooms, showers and hallways which are apt to be wet, shall be constructed of roughened cement, tile or other impervious material, and devoid of cracks and crevices; such floors and walks shall be laid on an even pitch of above one-quarter inch to three-eighths inch per foot.

F. All floors shall be drained into covered sanitary drainways or floor drains;

G. A system of water piping with frequent hose bibs shall be provided to enable the flushing of all floors.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Adequate sanitary toilet facilities shall be provided.

A. Separate toilet facilities shall be provided for each sex.

B. The minimum number provided is:

1. One toilet for each fifty women; and

2. One toilet and one urinal for each seventy-five men.

C. Urinals and toilets shall be so located that they are easily accessible to the bathers.

D. Water-flush toilets shall be provided whenever possible.

E. All toilets shall be kept clean and in working order, shall be properly serviced with toilet paper, and seats maintained in good repair.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Where dressing rooms are provided, they shall be sanitary and adequate.

A. Buildings shall be constructed and finished in a workmanlike manner.

B. Interior surfaces shall be smooth finished and shall be kept painted with heavy coats of washable paint, preferably light colored.

C. Adequate ventilation and artificial and natural lighting shall be provided throughout, including toilet and dressing rooms.

D. The individual rooms should be roomy and front onto hallways.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Where showers and lavatories are provided, they shall be sanitary and adequate.

A. Hot and cold water shall be available.

B. Liquid or powdered soap in suitable dispensing equipment shall be provided for each unit.

C. The minimum number of showers is in the proportion of one for each sixty bathers expected at time of maximum load.

D. Showers shall be of such design that a proper mixture of hot and cold water may be obtained without danger of scalding the bather.

E. Lavatories shall be located adjacent to toilets and shall be provided in the proportion of one to each sixty bathers.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Artificial lighting shall be provided for all public bathing places, natural bathing places, bathhouses and dressing rooms that are to be used at night or that do not have adequate natural lighting. Enclosed places shall be adequately ventilated.

A. Lighting fixtures shall be of such number and design as to light all parts of the public bathing places and the water therein.

B. Arrangement and design of lights shall be such that lifeguards may see clearly every part of the bathing waters at the beach and all diving boards, towers, floats and other appurtenances without being blinded by lights.

C. All lights shall be adequately protected to prevent breakage.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Bathing suits and towels furnished by the bathing place management shall be properly laundered and clean.

A. Bathing suits and towels shall be thoroughly washed, rinsed and dried after each use, and when issued, shall be in a condition equal to that produced by commercial laundries.

B. Bathing suits shall be gathered up promptly and not allowed to litter the premises.

C. Clean suits and towels shall be kept separate from dirty suits and towels.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Common towels, drinking cups and combs shall not be permitted.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Diseased persons shall be excluded from public bathing places.

A. No person having a communicable disease shall be employed.

B. All patrons known to be, or suspected by the health officer or the management of being afflicted with an infectious disease, or suffering from a cough, cold, sores, or wearing bands or bandages shall be excluded from all public bathing places, except on presentation of a written permit of current date from the local health officer.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

A. Water supplied to any public bathing place shall be from a community water system holding a permit granted by the state or local health department, or from some other source approved for the purpose by the local health department.

B. Water shall comply with the U.S. Public Health Service "Drinking Water Standards, 1962," as to source and protection and as to bacteriological quality.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1 (part), 1982)

A. Water in the public bathing place shall, at all times of use, be sufficiently clear so that the body of a bather, or an object simulating it on the bottom of the public bathing place in its deepest part, will be plainly visible.

B. A black disc six inches in diameter on a white field when placed on the bottom of the public bathing place at the deepest point shall be clearly visible at all distances up to ten yards measured from a line drawn across the public bathing place through the disc.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1 (part), 1982)

Bacteriological standards for each public beach or water-contact sports area shall be as follows:

A. Samples of water from each sampling station at a public beach or public water-contact sports area shall have a most probable number of coliform organisms less than one thousand per one hundred ml (ten per ml); provided, that not more than twenty percent of the samples at any sampling station in any thirty-day period may exceed one thousand per one hundred ml (ten per ml); and provided further, that no single sample, when verified by a repeat sample taken within forty-eight hours, shall exceed ten thousand per one hundred ml (one hundred per ml).

B. Bacterial analysis shall be made in accordance with procedures recommended by the tenth edition of the Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Sewage of the American Public Health Association. The combinations or portions planted on lactose broth as a presumptive media shall be at least two 1.0 ml portions, two 0.1 ml portions, and two 0.01 ml portions. All portions showing gas within forty-eight hours shall be confirmed on brilliant green bile broth.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Chemical quality of water shall, at all times, be such that there is not irritation of eyes or skin of the bathers, nor other objectionable physiological effects on bathers.

A. Water in the public bathing place shall have a pH of not less than 6.8 or more than 8.4.

B. Water chemistry is not to be abnormal to the point of creating discomfort or irritation.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

There shall be no direct connection between any domestic water supply system and the public bathing place water so that it may not flow or be drawn into the domestic water supply system.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

The sides and bottom of public bathing places, decks and other surfaces shall be kept free of slime and moss to prevent unnecessary slipperiness and danger of accidents or drowning.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Materials and details of construction shall be such as to reduce safety hazards to users of the public bathing place and surroundings to a practical minimum.

A. Slope of the bottom of any part of a public bathing place where water is less than five feet deep shall be not more than one foot in each twelve feet.

B. There shall be no sudden change of depth within the area where water depth is less than five feet.

C. At every public bathing place to the swimming area that is less than five feet deep shall be conspicuously marked on both sides and at the five-foot depth by buoys in order that the bathers may be aware of the shallow swimming area and of the change of depth past the five-foot deep point of the swimming area.

D. The swimming area beyond the five-foot depth shall be marked at both sides and at the outer perimeter of the deep swimming area by buoys conspicuously marked and displayed in order to inform the bathers of the extent of the deep swimming area as well as to indicate to boats and other craft the swimming location.

E. The bottom of the swimming area from the shoreline to the five-foot deep water shall be covered with white sand in order that a body could be seen.

F. Adequate provisions for the circulation of water shall be provided as required by the health officer.

G. Ladders or stairways may be required when deemed necessary by the health officer.

H. Treads of ladders, steps, platforms or diving boards shall be of nonslip material.

I. Stairs or ladders shall be provided with a handrail when required by the health officer.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Diving boards, when used, shall be installed and used only under conditions safe for both divers and bathers:

A. At least fifteen feet free and unobstructed head room to be provided about diving boards and towers;

B. No diving board or platform to be more than ten feet above water level for unrestricted use by patrons;

C. Where diving boards or platforms are used, they shall be structurally safe;

D. Where a diving board not greater than one meter high is used, water depth under the board shall be a minimum of eight feet six inches; this depth to extend at least two feet behind the end of the board and a minimum of ten feet in front of the end of the board; beyond this point, the slope of the bottom upwards toward shallow water shall not be steeper than one foot vertical for each two feet horizontal;

E. Side clearance on boards to be a minimum of eight feet.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

One or more qualified lifeguards, having no other duty to perform at the time, shall be on lifeguard duty at each public bathing place at all times that bathers are invited or permitted to use the bathing place. One or more lifeguards who have demonstrated their proficiency and have qualified to operate a resuscitator shall be on duty at all times.

A. Lifeguards shall possess evidence of successful completion of a lifesaving course, such as, Red Cross, YMCA (Senior or Instructor) or an equivalent course, and demonstrate proficiency in rescue and resuscitation measures.

B. Lifeguards shall be in good physical condition.

C. No bather is to be permitted to enter a public bathing place unless a lifeguard is present.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1 (part), 1982)

Lifesaving and emergency first aid facilities shall be provided at all public bathing places.

A. Every public bathing place shall be equipped for safety and rescue with:

1. One or more light but strong poles, bamboo or other, or shepherd's hook;

2. One or more throwing buoys not more than fifteen inches in diameter, having sixty feet of three-sixteenth inch manila line attached, placed on racks at strategic points adjacent to the public bathing place;

3. A square stern boat equipped with oars and oarlocks shall be available;

4. One or more water scopes to be available for use.

B. Every public bathing place shall be equipped with a standard twenty-four unit first aid kit which is kept filled and readily accessible for emergency use.

C. Every public bathing place shall have a readily accessible room or area designated and equipped for emergency care of casualties with at least a first aid kit, a stretcher and two blankets kept for emergency use only.

D. Every public bathing place shall be provided at all times with an approved type resuscitator.

E. Every public bathing place shall be provided with, immediately adjacent to its telephone, a selected list of telephone numbers for:

1. Nearest available doctors;

2. Nearest available ambulance service;

3. Nearest available hospital; and

4. Nearest available police or fire department rescue squads.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Notices shall be posted regulating conduct and practices of bathers.

A. Notices to be posted in each dressing room and about the premises requesting bathers to make use of the toilets, and where available, showers, before entering the water; urging them to avoid spitting, spouting and blowing of the nose in the water, and demanding that they refrain from rough and boisterous play;

B. Notice to warn the bather that persons having colds or ear infections should not swim or dive on account of danger of spreading disease to others and because the infection may be intensified;

C. Notices to be posted regarding exclusion of diseased persons; and

D. Other notices to be posted as may be required by the health officer.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)

Public bathing places that do not meet the above construction requirements are granted three years from the date of the adoption of this chapter to comply. The health officer may waive certain requirements on public bathing places that do not comply when, in his opinion, such requirements would not adversely affect the operation of the public bathing place.

(Ord. 82-72 § 1(part), 1982)