Your HOA pool is a public pool
Georgia does not distinguish between a city pool and a subdivision pool. Under the Department of Public Health's Rules and Regulations for Public Swimming Pools, Spas, and Recreational Water Parks, Chapter 511-3-5, any pool that serves more than a single household is a public swimming pool. An HOA amenity pool, an apartment pool, a hotel pool, and a country club pool are all regulated the same way, and the owner of the pool, which for an HOA means the association and its board, is responsible for compliance.
The rules are enforced by the county. In our territory that means Forsyth County Environmental Health, the Fulton County Board of Health, Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Gwinnett County Environmental Health, Paulding County Environmental Health, and the DeKalb County Board of Health. Some counties adopt the state code as written; Cobb, for example, adds its own limits on top. Your county's rule sheet is the one that governs.
The permit
A public pool needs a permit to operate, issued by the county health department and renewed on the county's schedule. Opening without a current permit is itself a violation. If you are a new board member, the first question to ask is where the permit is and when it expires.
The chemistry the inspector will test
The inspector brings a test kit and checks the water on the spot. The ranges that matter most:
- Free chlorine: at least 1.0 ppm at all times, and at least 2.0 ppm when the pool is stabilized with cyanuric acid, which nearly every outdoor pool in Georgia is. The practical target is 2 to 5 ppm.
- pH: between 7.2 and 7.8 during operation. This is the one that closes pools. A pH outside the range is classified as an imminent health hazard.
- Combined chlorine: no more than 0.4 ppm. Combined chlorine is used-up chlorine, the chloramine that causes the smell and the red eyes. It is removed by shocking.
- Cyanuric acid (stabilizer): no more than 90 ppm. Stabilizer protects chlorine from sunlight, but above about 50 ppm it starts to slow chlorine down, and above 90 the only fix is to drain part of the pool.
- Total alkalinity: between 60 and 180 ppm, with 80 to 120 as the working target. Alkalinity is what keeps pH from swinging.
- Water clarity: the main drain must be clearly visible from the deck. If it is not, the pool closes until it is.
The test kit matters. The code requires a DPD-based kit, which reads free and combined chlorine separately; the older OTO kits that only read total chlorine are not accepted. We test with a LaMotte SpinTouch photometer, which reads to the decimal and logs the result. How we keep the chemistry in range.
The trained operator
Every public pool must have a trained operator responsible for it, with a current certificate on file and available at the pool. The common credential is the Certified Pool Operator, CPO, course. The operator does not have to be on site every hour the pool is open, but someone with the credential has to be responsible for the pool, and the health department has to be able to reach them. If your service company holds the certificate, their name is on your record.
The daily log
The code requires a written record of chemistry readings and maintenance, kept at the pool and available to the inspector. Most violations we see at pools we take over are not chemistry violations. They are log violations: a book that stops in June, readings written in the same pen on the same day, a page missing. The log is evidence that someone is actually operating the pool. Ours prints from the visit record, and a QR code on the book opens the full history so an inspector can see months of readings without a phone call.
Safety equipment and signage
The inspector walks the deck. They will look for a life ring with a throw line and a reach pole (a shepherd's crook) in good condition, a first-aid kit, an emergency phone or posted instructions, depth markers, no-diving markings where the depth calls for them, a working gate with a self-closing latch, compliant drain covers, and posted rules with the operator's contact and the pool's capacity. Missing or broken safety equipment is a finding; a missing drain cover closes the pool.
Inspections
A seasonal pool is inspected at least once per season; a year-round pool at least twice a year. The county also inspects on complaint, and an apartment or HOA pool with an active resident email list gets complaint inspections. The inspection is unannounced. If a violation is found, the county issues a notice with a correction period; if the violation is an imminent health hazard, the pool closes immediately. The owner has the right to a hearing, typically within 72 hours.
What closes a pool
The code lists conditions that require immediate closure: pH out of range, sanitizer below the minimum, the main drain not visible, a missing or broken drain cover, circulation or filtration equipment not working, a fecal or vomit incident, and certain electrical or structural hazards. A closure stays in effect until the condition is corrected and, in some cases, the county reinspects.
What the board should actually do
- Know where the permit and the operator certificate are, and when each expires.
- Read the log book once a month. If it is not current, that is the first conversation to have with your vendor.
- Ask the vendor how chemistry is held between visits. A pool tested once a week is out of range for part of every week unless something is holding it. What real-time monitoring means.
- Walk the deck yourself in May: life ring, reach pole, gate latch, drain covers, signage.
- Keep the inspection reports. They are the history of the pool, and they tell the next board what to expect.
We keep the county rule sheets for Forsyth, Cobb, Paulding, and DeKalb in our platform and hold every pool to the state code and its county. If your board wants a second opinion on where the pool stands, a site assessment is free.