Part One: General health protection

Any person who installs a public or private swimming pool, artificial bathing facility or bathing area for public use must make a declaration to the local town hall before opening. This declaration, accompanied by supporting documentation, includes an undertaking that the swimming pool or bathing area complies with the health and safety standards set by the decrees mentioned in articles L. 1332-7 and L. 1332-8. Each year, the municipality shall…

For the purposes of this chapter, a bathing water is defined as any part of surface water in which the local authority expects a large number of people to bathe and in which the competent authority has not permanently prohibited bathing. The following are not considered to be bathing waters – swimming pools and spas ; – confined waters which undergo treatment or are used for therapeutic purposes; – artificial…

The person responsible for a bathing water is deemed to be the person who declares the bathing water in accordance with the provisions of article L. 1332-1, or, in the absence of a declarant, the commune or group of competent territorial authorities within whose territory the bathing water is located. The person responsible for a bathing water, under the supervision of the representative of the State in the département :…

Without prejudice to the exercise of the police powers belonging to the various administrative authorities, the use of a swimming pool or bathing water may be prohibited by the administrative authorities if the physical conditions in which it is set up or operates are detrimental to the health or safety of users and to public hygiene or sanitation, or if the installation does not comply with the standards laid down…

The provisions applicable to swimming pools and bathing facilities are monitored by the agents mentioned in articles L. 1421-1 and L. 1435-7 and by the agents of the Ministry of Sport. The assessment of the quality and classification of bathing water is carried out by the Director General of the Regional Health Agency on the basis of analyses carried out in application of this chapter, in particular in the context…

The costs corresponding to the obligations of the person responsible for the bathing water as set out in article L. 1332-3 and to health inspections under the conditions defined in article L. 1321-5 are to be borne by this person. The départements may contribute financially to bathing water management operations, including the preparation of bathing water profiles, the monitoring programme and public information and participation, carried out by the competent…

Detailed rules for the application of this chapter relating to bathing water shall be determined by decree, and in particular : 1° The health regulations which bathing waters must comply with, depending in particular on the nature, use and frequency of use of the facilities, and whether they are existing or to be created; 2° The terms and conditions relating to the definition of the bathing season, the preparation, revision…

The person responsible for a swimming pool or artificial bathing area is required to monitor the quality of the water and inform the public of the results of this monitoring, to undergo health checks, to comply with the rules and quality limits laid down by decree, and to use only effective water treatment, cleaning and disinfection products and processes which do not constitute a health hazard for bathers and staff…

The costs corresponding to the obligations of the person responsible for a swimming pool or artificial bathing area as set out in this chapter are to be borne by that person. The conditions relating to health inspection expenses are defined in article L. 1321-5.