A definition of a pool: A pond of water, of variable dimensions, with an intended use for bathing, swimming and practicing any swimming related sports.

Many classifications can be made according to its size and works execution. According to its use they can be classified into public pools, common pools and private pools.

A leisure space is a place intended for fun, pleasure or resting. Such as tennis courts, paddle courts, sauna, mini-golf, etc.

Pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, etc., of buildings under the Horizontal Property Act regime need to be considered as common areas, unless the Constitutive Title or the internal regulations states differently.

Regarding their regulations, pools are subject to a specific regualtion, composed of National, Regional (or of the Autonomous Communities) and local rules.

National Regulation on this matter is contained in an Order of 31 May 1960, which regulates the regime of public pools and an order of 12 July 1961 which sets the rules for private pools.

Competences on this matter have been transferred to Autonomous Communities:

Autonomous Communities Regulations on Pools:

AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY	APPLICABLE TO	NOT APPLICABLE TO
ANDALUCÍA	Collective use pools	Single family pools. Communities of neighbours up to 20 houses. Thermal pools. Sport pools.
ARAGÓN	Collective use pools	Single family pools. Thermal pools
ASTURIAS	Collective use pools	Single family pools. Thermal pools.
BALEARES	Pools of touristic establishments. Collective use pools.	Single family pools.. Communities of neighbours. Thermal pools.
CANARIAS	Every kind of pools	Single family pools. Termal pools.
CANTABRIA	Collective use pools.	Single family pools. Communities of neighbours up to 20 houses. Thermal pools.
CASTILLA LA MANCHA	Every kind of pools	Single family pools. Sport and competition pools. Thermal pools.
CASTILLA LEÓN	Every kind of pools	Single family pools Communities of neighbours
CATALUNYA	Collective use pools	Single family pools. Community of neighbours. Thermal pools.
GALICIA	Collective use pools	Single family pools. Communities of neighbours up to 20 houses. Thermal pools, hydrotherapy.
LA RIOJA	Collective use pools.	Pools for family,private or plurifamily use.
MADRID	Every kind of pools	Single family pools . For community of neighbours of les than 30 houses there are some exclusions to the regulations. Thermal pools
MURCIA	Collective use pools.	Single family pools. Communities of neighbours. Thermal pools.
NAVARRA	Public use pools	Single family pools. Communities of neighbours of less than 20 houses. Thermal pools.
COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA	Collective use pools. Water parks	Single family pools. Community of owners for less than 100 people.
PAÍS VASCO	Collective use pools.	Single family pools. Community of owners up to 20 houses. Thermal pools.

I will explain more in detail the contents of the regulations in Andalucia and will mention the legislation texts which contain the rest of the regulations for the rest of Spain:

- Andalucía:

*Decree 23/1999 de 23 febrero 1999 Decreto 23/1999, de 23 de febrero, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Sanitario de las Piscinas de Uso Colectivo. de 23 de febrero, on sanitary regulations for collective use pools.

*Resolution dated on the 17 June 2003, of the General Management of Public Health and Participation, for the updating of the parameters of the Annexe I of Decree 23/1999 de 23 febrero 1999 Decreto 23/1999, de 23 de febrero, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Sanitario de las Piscinas de Uso Colectivo. de 23 de febrero, on sanitary regulations for collective use of pools. (BOJA nº 127 de 4-7-03)

Depths	For children pools: 0,20 to 0,40 m For leisure pools: a minimum depth of 1,20 to 1,40 m
Bottom	Minimum slope of 2% and maximum of 10% for depths lower to 1,40 m . Never higher to 35%. The slope changes will be duly signalled for the user, as the minimum and maximums depths.
Overflowers	Compulsory for pools with a water surface higher to 300 m2 .
Skimmers	For pools smaller than 300 m2 of water surface, one every 25 m .
Beach	1 m of Minimum width .
Access	Access items need to be of depth inferior to 0, 10 m and length not inferior to 2 m , with enough width for not being avoided. Forbidden for indoor pools.
Steps	Minimum1 set of steps every 20 m or fraction of the pool’s perimeter.

Duchas	The number of showers for the changing rooms is calculated depending on the size of the water surface.  For indoor pools of up to 200m2 of water surface, 1 shower every 20 m2 . For pools bigger than 200 m2 of water surface this formula will be applied: 6 + (0,02xS) being S the water surface in m2. For outdoor pools up to 420 m2 , 1 shower for every 30 m2 . For pools bigger than 420 m2 , this formula will be applied: 8+ (0,015xS) being S the water surface in m2.
First Aid posts	Every pool must have a First Aid Post with easy access. When the capacity is higher to 450 users, a sickbay is needed.
Technical premises/ machinery	They will be placed at independent places, out of the public access and in the way determined by the applicable regulation to every case.

Recirculation timing	Paddle pools: 1 hour. Vessel´s depth lower than 1, 40 m: 2 hours. Vessel’s depth lower than 1, 40 m: 4 hours.
Cloudiness
pH	6,8 – 8
Free chlorine	0,4 – 1,5 ppm	Total chlorine
Lime		Brome
Silver		Iron	0,3 mg/l
Isocyanides acid	75 mg/l	Aluminium	<= 0,3 mg/l
Oxidazibility	< 4 mg 02 /l	Ammonia	<= 0,5 mg/l
Nitrate	< 10 mg/l	Copper	0,3 mg/l

Water temperature		Air volume
Premise temperatura	2 ó 4ºC  higher than the water temperature	Humidity	Not higher to 80%

LIFEGUARDS for ANDALUCIA POOLS

Every collective use pool with a water surface greater than 200m² must have lifeguard services. The lifeguards must have the official certificate for life guarding. The number of lifeguards will be required as follows:

A) One lifeguard for pools from 200 to 500 m2 of water surface.

b) Two lifeguards for pools from 500 to 1000 m2 of water surface.

c) For pools bigger than 1000 m2 of water surface, one lifeguard will be added for every vessel or 500 m2 of water surface

Regardless what is stated above, if the separation between pools does not allow an efficient watchfulness, a lifeguard will be required for each pool as a minimum.

- Aragón:

Decree 50/1993 dated the 19th of May 1993 Decreto 50/1993, de 19 de mayo, de la Diputación General de Aragón, por el que se regulan las condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de las piscinas de uso público., on hygienic-sanitary conditions for public use pools.

- Asturias:

Decree 26/2003 dated the 3rd of April 2003 Decreto 26/2003, de 3 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Técnico Sanitario de Piscinas de Uso Colectivo en el Principado de Asturias. , on Technical Sanitary rules for Collective Use pools in Asturias.

- Canaries:

Decree dated the 2nd in March 1989 Orden de 2 de marzo de 1989, por la que se regula el régimen técnico-sanitario de piscinas de Canarias. , on technical-sanitary regime of pools.

- Cantabria:

Decree 58/1993 dated the 9th in August 1993 Decreto 58/1993, de 9 de agosto, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Sanitario de las Piscinas de Uso Colectivo. , on sanitary rules for collective use pools.

- Castilla- Leon:

Decree 177/1992 dated the 22nd in October 1992 DECRETO 177/1992 de 22 de octubre, en materia de condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de piscinas de uso público (Castilla y León). , on hygienic-sanitary conditions for public use pools.

- Castilla- la Mancha:

Decree 216/1999 dated the 19th in October 1999 Decreto 216/1999, de 19 de octubre, en materia de condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de piscinas de uso público. , on hygienic-sanitary conditions for public use pools.

- Cataluña:

Decree 95/2000 dated the 22nd in February 2000 Decreto 95/2000, de 22 de febrero, por el que se establecen las normas sanitarias aplicables a las piscinas de uso público. , on sanitary rules for public use pools.

- Comunidad Valenciana:

Decree 255/1994 dated the 7th in December 1994 Decreto 255/1994, de 7 de diciembre, por el que se regulan las normas higiénico-sanitarias y de seguridad de las piscinas de uso colectivo y de los parques acuáticos. , on hygienic-sanitary and safety rules for public use pools and water parks.

- Extremadura:

Decree 54/2002 dated the 30th in April 2002 DECRETO 54/2002, de 30 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Sanitario de Piscinas de uso colectivo de la Comunidad Autónoma de Extremadura., on Sanitary conditions for collective use pools in Comunidad Autónoma de Extremadura.

- Galicia:

Decree 103/2005 dated the 6th in May 2005 Decreto 103/2005, de 6 de mayo, por el que se establece la reglamentación técnico-sanitaria de piscinas de uso colectivo. , on technical-sanitary conditions for collective use pools.

- Islas Baleares:

Decree 53/1995 dated the 18th in Mayo 1995 Decreto 53/1995, de 18 de mayo de 1995, por el que se aprueban las condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de las piscinas para los establecimientos de alojamientos turísticos y las de uso colectivo, en general. , on hygienic-sanitary conditions for pools in touristic establishments and collective use pools.

- La Rioja:

Decree 2/2005 dated the 28th in January Decreto 2/2005, de 28 de enero, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento Técnico Sanitario de Piscinas e Instalaciones Acuáticas de la Comunidad Autónoma de La Rioja., on technical-sanitary conditions for pools and water installations.

- Madrid:

Decree 80/1998 dated the 14th in May 1998 Decreto 80/1998, de 14 de mayo, por el que se regulan las condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de piscinas de uso colectivo. , on hygienic-sanitary conditions for collective use pools.

- Murcia:

Decree 58/1992 dated the 28th in May Decreto 58/1992, de 28 de mayo, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de condiciones higiénico-sanitarias de las piscinas de uso colectivo. (Murcia)on hygienic-sanitary conditions for collective use pools

- Navarra:

Decree 123/2003 dated the 19th in Mayo 2003 Decreto Foral 123/2003, de 19 de mayo, por el que se establecen las condiciones técnico-sanitarias de las piscinas de uso colectivo., on technical-sanitary conditions for collective use pools. Norma modificada por Decreto Foral 20/2006, de 2 de mayo, por el que se modifica el Decreto Foral 123/2003, de 19 de mayo, por el que se establecen las condiciones técnico-sanitarias de las piscinas de uso colectivo.

- País Vasco:

Decree 32/2003 dated the 18th in February 2003 Decreto 32/2003, de 18 de febrero, por el que se aprueba el reglamento sanitario de piscinas de uso colectivo., on Sanitary conditions for collective use pools.

Some Local Councils, very few though, also have local regulations for pools.

Written by

Maria de Castro
Lawyer

Maria de Castro is a Spanish Lawyer and the Director of the Law Firm www.costaluzlawyers.es.

Costa Luz Lawyers are contract and consumer real estate law specialists covering all parts of Spain. You can contact Maria at mldecastro@costaluzlawyers.es

 

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Comment	Date	User
Thankyou for all this information. Could you possibly let us know what the regulations are regarding inflatables in the communal pool ( in the Valencia area ) and also how to ensure people SHOWER before using the pool? We have all the notices but holidaymakers cannot read. Many thanks.	8/14/2007 3:20:00 PM	Karensun
I have recently been surprised to notice that when our communal pool do'es not have a lifeguard on duty the gates are locked and no one on the complex has access to the pool area. The current hours covered by the Lifeguard are 12 midday til 8pm and so we cannot swim in the mornings. Our apartment is in Andalucia approx 300sq meters. Is it not possible that we could have access ? Regards Andy How	8/21/2007 12:49:00 PM	Hownow

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