Piscataway, NJ Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Added by Ordinance No. 2020-23 in August 2020, § 17-4.2(a) requires that swimming pools, spas and hot tubs "containing water more than 24 inches in depth" be "completely surrounded by a fence or a barrier not less than 48 inches in height above the finished ground level," measured from the side of the barrier away from the pool. Gates and doors in that barrier must be self-closing and self-latching; if the latch sits lower than 54 inches above the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism has to be positioned on the pool side so it cannot be reached from outside.

The gate must "positively close and latch when released from an open position of six inches," and an existing enclosure cannot be removed, replaced or altered in a way that weakens its effectiveness as a safety barrier. Subsection b creates one narrow exception: a hot tub or spa fitted with a safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the fencing requirement entirely, recognizing that a code-compliant locking cover serves the same child-safety function as a perimeter barrier. Section 17-4.1 separately requires every pool, spa and hot tub to be kept clean, sanitary and in good repair independent of the barrier rule.

Section 17-4.3 sets the penalty for violating either § 17-4.1 (maintenance) or § 17-4.2 (enclosure) at a fine of not less than $250 and not greater than $2,000 upon conviction, the same range used across the Township's property maintenance chapter.