Pool Alarm Law

Pool alarms are designed to prevent children from accidentally drowning.

All pool owners should take whatever safety precautions they can to prevent a child or pet from accidentally falling into the water and drowning. Some states have passed laws to encourage pool safety, including pool alarm laws. Pool alarms emit a loud sound when a heavy object, such as a child or pet, falls into the water.

The Law

On Dec. 14, 2006, a law in New York went into effect mandating that all residential and commercial pools be installed with a pool alarm capable of detecting when a child enters the water. An alarm must be positioned poolside as well as at another location within the area of the pool.

State Laws

As of 2010, only two states have legislation requiring pool alarms on residential pools: Connecticut and New York. Connecticut was the first state to pass legislation in 2000, while New York passed legislation in 2006. As of 2007, residential pools in California must be equipped with at least one of seven possible safety features, one of which is a pool alarm.

Penalties

Penalties for not installing a pool alarm vary from state to state. For example, pool owners who violate the pool alarm law in New York will be issued a warning upon the first offense. However, on the second offense, the pool owner will be fined $1,000 a day until an alarm is installed.

References

• B2B: New York State Alarm Law
• Docs: California Codes
• Pool Angel: New York State Pool Alarm Law Permanent
• Good House Keeping: Pool Safety Legislation

Resources

• AAP: Pool Safety For Children