Wasco Municipal Code Ch. 8.28 Swimming Pools and Other Bodies of Water

Sections: 8.28.010 Protective enclosure required--Specifications. 8.28.020 Doors or gates--Specifications. 8.28.030 Compliance--Time limit. 8.28.040 Modifications and extensions--Permitted when. 8.28.050 Person defined. 8.28.060 Enforcement. 8.28.070 Violation--Penalty.

Every person who owns or is in possession of any premises on which there is situated, on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter or at any time thereafter, a swimming pool, fish pond, wading pool, or any other outside body of water created by artificial means, any of which has a water depth of eighteen inches or more in any portion thereof, shall maintain on the lot or premises upon which such swimming pool, fish pond, wading pool, or other artificial body of water is located, and completely surrounding such body of water, lot or premises, an adequate fence, wall or other adequate structure to make such body of water inaccessible to small children. Such fence, wall or other structure must be not less than four and one-half feet in height, with no openings large enough to admit a child, except through doors or gates, as provided in this chapter. (Ord. 109 §1, 1962).

All doors or gates shall be of such size as to completely fill any opening in the fence, wall or other structure, and shall be equipped with self-closing and self-latching devices capable of keeping such gate or door securely closed, which closing or latching devices shall be located not less than four feet above grade, or shall otherwise be inaccessible from the outside to small children. In lieu of such self-closing and self-latching devices, doors and gates may be equipped with locks, which shall be kept locked at all times when the pool, pond or other body of water is not in actual use. (Ord. 109 §2, 1962).

All persons maintaining such swimming pools, fish ponds, wading pools, or other outside bodies of water created by artificial means or otherwise, shall comply with the provisions of this chapter within sixty days after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. (Ord. 109 §3, 1962).

The building inspector may allow slight modifications for good cause shown in individual cases with respect to the height of the fence, wall or other enclosing structure, or the nature or position of the latch or other locking device. The building inspector may permit other protective devices or structures to be used so long as the degree of protection afforded by the substitute devices or structures is not less than the protection afforded by the fence, wall or other enclosing structure and the gate, door, latch or other locking devices described in this chapter. Upon the application of a property owner, the city council may grant extensions of time for compliance for good cause shown in individual cases. Such extensions of time shall not exceed thirty days at a time. (Ord. 109 §4, 1962).

"Person," as used in this chapter, includes any natural person, corporation, partnership, and other association of any kind or nature, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular member. (Ord. 109 §5, 1962).

The enforcement of the provisions of this chapter shall be by any officer or employee of the building department of the city. (Ord. 109 §8, 1962).

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 109 §6, 1962).