Kent County, MI Swimming Pools & Spas: Safety Rules (2026)

Public swimming pools and public spa pools in Kent County are regulated under Part 125 of the Michigan Public Health Code (Act 368 of 1978), which defines a public pool broadly to include any pool other than one serving a single private residence — i.e., apartment, condominium, hotel, motel, campground, RV park, school, club, gym, therapy, and municipal pools all fall under the rule. MCL 333.12522 directs the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE, formerly DEQ) to promulgate rules for design, construction, and operation; those rules are codified at Mich. Admin. Code R 325.2111 through R 325.2199.

The Kent County Health Department is the local agency that the state contracts with to administer the program inside Kent County. Per its Public Swimming Pools program page, the Health Department (1) issues annual operating licenses to every public pool/spa in the county, (2) conducts at least one routine inspection per year, (3) investigates citizen complaints, injuries, and waterborne-illness reports at licensed pools, (4) requires the operator to collect and submit water samples for bacteriological testing at least once a month while the pool is open to bathers, and (5) requires submission of a Monthly Operation Report by the 10th of the following month documenting chlorine, pH, turbidity, and disinfection-related water-chemistry readings. Operators must also submit an Equipment Change Form when any treatment equipment is modified, and a Seasonal Opening Checklist before reopening each season.

Safety provisions enforced at inspection include functional anti-entrapment drain covers that meet the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. §8003) and the corresponding ANSI/APSP-16 standard, a working main-drain anti-vortex/dual-drain configuration or safety vacuum-release system, depth markings, no-diving signage where the water is shallower than 5 feet, a clearly posted bather load and Rules for Bathers placard, lifesaving equipment (ring buoy with attached line and a rescue/shepherd hook), a fully stocked first-aid kit, an emergency telephone with posted 911 instructions, and — for pools without a lifeguard — a posted "Swim at Your Own Risk / No Lifeguard on Duty" sign meeting Mich. Admin. Code R 325.2193 specifications. The Health Department phone for filing a complaint about a public pool is (616) 632-6900; the main department line is (616) 632-7100, address 700 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.