Swimming pools – Swimming pools are great for beating the heat. Here are some rules and recommendations to help keep your pool safe and secure.

• The Virginia Property Maintenance Code (VPMC) requires that pools be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and in good repair. Cracked and crumbling pool floors or murky, green water is likely a violation.
• Pool barrier (fence) requirements have changed over time. Before the 1990s, fencing a property’s perimeter may have sufficed for pools for private residential use; however, if that same pool was installed today, there must be a fence at least four feet tall around the pool area. Regardless of what type of fence was required at the time of pool installation, that fence must be maintained in good repair.
• Community pools and other pools available for more than private residential use must meet the Water Recreation Facilities Ordinance.
• It may be tempting to rent a pool on a site such as Swimply to make a little extra income. However, that violates the Zoning Ordinance because doing so is an outdoor commercial recreation use that cannot be permitted in any residential zoning district.

While the following is not a regulation – it’s recommended to keep away from your pool any outdoor furniture, decorative walls, play equipment or other objects that may afford a small child unintended access to a pool.

DCC is here to help – if you have questions, want to make a report, or if you are the subject of enforcement and need to contact us. You can report problems online, learn about what happens during an investigation, reach us via email, phone (703-324-1300 / TTY 711), or visit us in person at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1016, Fairfax, VA 22035.