Washington County, OR Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Washington County Health Department
- Chlorine residual
- 0.4–0.6 ppm (0.7–1.5 ppm w/ cyanurates)
- pH range
- 7.2 to 7.6, tested daily
- Closure authority
- Health officer, on bad bacteriological results
- Appeal window
- 7 days to board after closure notice
- Scope
- Unincorporated county pools only
Summary
Washington County's health department runs swimming pool safety enforcement under Chapter 14.08, testing chlorine and pH daily, barring bathers with communicable disease or open sores, and holding closure authority whenever bacteriological results show danger to swimmers. The rules bind pools in the unincorporated county: cities that haven't contracted the county to enforce inside their limits handle their own pools.
14.08.050 - Administration and enforcement authority. A.The health department shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this chapter. B.The health officer or his authorized representative shall have access to swimming pools at any reasonable time for purposes of inspection and enforcement of this chapter. ... 14.08.250 - Inspection—Closure authority. Samples of any swimming pool water for bacteriological analysis may be collected by the health officer or his representative for analysis at reasonable times. When the bacteriological results are such that the health officer finds that the health of swimmers may be in danger, the health officer may order the swimming pool closed or use of the swimming pool prohibited until such correction is made.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
050). 250 lets the health officer collect pool water samples for bacteriological analysis, and "when the bacteriological results are such that the health officer finds that the health of swimmers may be in danger," the pool can be ordered closed or its use prohibited until the problem is corrected. 6, and both are tested daily with results kept on permanent record. Personal rules bar anyone with a fever, cough, inflamed eyes, discharge, or a communicable disease, or with skin sores, from using the pool at all. 240).
Violations & Fines
Non-compliant pools face closure, not just a citation. If water clarity or chlorine drift outside the chapter's safety standards, § 14.08.230 requires the pool to shut down until corrected, and the health officer can order closure directly under § 14.08.250 whenever bacteriological tests show danger to swimmers. Operating in violation is also a nuisance abatable under Chapter 8.20 (§ 14.08.260), and a county officer or private citizen may issue a citation under the uniform citation ordinance (§ 14.08.270); closure orders may be appealed to the board within seven days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces swimming pool safety rules in Washington County?
What water quality standards must a pool meet?
Can the county shut down my pool?
Who is barred from using a public or semipublic pool?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
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