At a glance
Use this practice to provide pool and spa safety education, technical assistance, and training to facility operators. The city of Long Beach, California, partnered with underperforming facilities to increase pool and spa code compliance rates.
Background
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Bureau identified pools and spas with a history of low inspection scores and frequent code violations.
They used focused engagement and education to improve operator and maintenance staff understanding of health and safety inspections and how to better maintain safe pools and spas.
Key actions
The health department conducted the following activities:
- Used environmental health data to apply the practice in communities with the greatest needs. The selected area had 69 pools and spas, most of which were located at multiunit housing buildings.
- Used inspection data to identify facilities at highest risk. The health department categorized violations as high risk (7–9 points), medium risk (4–6 points), and low risk (1–3 points). The facilities with the highest risk were selected for the intervention.
- Provided educational materials, training, and technical assistance to facility operators.
- The health department created a self-inspection checklist based on their jurisdiction's pool and spa health and safety code. Pool operators and maintenance staff used the checklist during routine maintenance and daily operations to better prepare for health inspections.
- A Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) worked directly with operators to provide guidance and on-site visits when needed to help address health and safety issues.
- Evaluated the effectiveness of the practice. The health department conducted routine annual pool inspections 30–60 days after the intervention at both participating pools and other nearby pools. They compared the inspection scores for both groups to previous years to see if the intervention improved scores.
Using this practice
We selected this practice as an example of environmental public health successfully applied in the field. We based our selection on the following four domains:
- Effectiveness: Did it solve or help solve the environmental health problem?
- Feasibility: What conditions and resources are needed to use it?
- Sustainability: Is it realistically able to continue going forward?
- Transferability: Could other health departments use it with little to no changes?
Effectiveness
Overall, facilities that received the education and used the self-inspection checklist had improved inspection scores and better compliance with their pool codes. Before the intervention, these facilities had slightly lower scores than nearby pools. However, after the intervention, their scores improved. In addition, pool operators receiving the intervention appreciated the enhanced knowledge and assistance provided by their regulatory agency.
Feasibility
Other health departments interested in this practice may need the following capacity:
- Experienced REHS (or similar) with strong regulatory and technical knowledge
- Expertise in public pool and spa operations, maintenance, water quality, facilities and equipment, and safety guidelines
- Ability to communicate with maintenance and facility staff, including bilingual skills as needed
- Capacity to build and sustain positive relationships with facility operators
- Data system querying and configuration skills
Sustainability
This practice could be scaled to available resources. Health departments can also consider the following factors:
- High turnover of both health departments and aquatics staff can make it hard to build strong relationships between health inspectors and pool operators.
- Educating new operators takes time, but simple tools like an instruction guide or training video could help departments more easily train operators and sustain this practice.
- Education can address pool operation and maintenance, local aquatic regulations, and the self-inspection checklist.
Transferability
Programs interested in this practice can consider the following options:
- Modifying the self-inspection checklist to reflect requirements in their jurisdiction
- Creating their own risk rating system for their regulatory program (for example, they can assign each violation a risk level and point value to calculate risk ratings)
Successes and challenges
Pool and spa operators might be hesitant to participate because of concerns about regulatory scrutiny. Health departments might want to consider involving their communication staff early on to help address these concerns. Language barriers may be encountered, and multilingual inspection staff and educational materials may help program development and activity delivery.
The health department also established a new partnership with the fire department, which shared information about drownings or near-drowning incidents. As a result, the health department focused operator training on critical pool health and safety actions to help prevent such tragedies.
Connections to Essential Services
Documenting how programs contribute to the Essential Public Health Services may help health departments in the accreditation process with the Public Health Accreditation Board. The activities in this practice support and align with these services:
- Assess and monitor (1)
- Address hazards (2)
- Educate (3)
- Strengthen communities and partnerships (4)
Resources
City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
- Swimming pool and spa self inspection checklist
- Monthly pool inspection record (template)
- Public swimming pool & spa safety signs and equipment (note to owners and managers)
CDC
Citation
In citing this practice in articles, presentations, or elsewhere, we suggest the following citation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Environmental Health. Environmental Public Health Practices Gateway. Inspection-based checklist for pool operators: A practice from Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (California). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, 2026, https://www.cdc.gov/environmental-health-practice/php/gateway/inspection-based-checklist-for-pool-operators.html.