Swimming Pools & Spas in Wake County, NC (2026)

Fencing & Safety Requirements

Every public swimming pool in Wake County, hotel, motel, apartment, condominium, HOA, country-club, fitness-club, water park, school, camp, and municipal pool, is regulated by 15A NCAC 18A .2500 (Rules Governing Public Swimming Pools), adopted by the NC Commission for Public Health and enforced in Wake County by Wake County Environmental Services (Environmental Health). Rule .2530 (Safety Provisions) requires conspicuous lifesaving equipment (a 12-foot pole with body hook, throwing rope, ring buoy) at every pool, an emergency telephone capable of dialing 911, and where no lifeguard is on duty, a "WARNING, NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY" sign with letters at least four inches high, plus signs stating "CHILDREN SHOULD NOT USE THE SWIMMING POOL WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION" and "ADULTS SHOULD NOT SWIM ALONE." Pools larger than 3,000 square feet must have two units of lifesaving equipment. Operating permits are issued annually by Wake County Environmental Services after a sanitation inspection.