Swimming Pools
Each public swimming pool, wading pool, splash pad and spa shall be inspected by Environmental Health to determine compliance. Locations that open on or after April 1 and close on or before October 31 are considered seasonal and shall be inspected once during the period of operation. All other locations shall be inspected at least twice a year and are considered year-round pools or spas.
New Pool Construction
Plans and specifications shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer or registered architect, and shall be approved by Catawba County Environmental Health prior to construction. Public swimming pools, splash pads, wading pools and spas shall be constructed by contractors licensed by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The General Contractor's license must include the Swimming Pool Classification.
A minimum of two complete sets of plans shall be submitted for review. Environmental Health shall approve, disapprove, or provide written comments on plans and specifications for public swimming pools within 30 days of their receipt. Construction must begin within one year from the date of approval, or the approval shall be voided.
Full rules for plan review and approval can be found at 15A NCAC 18A .2509.
A Plan Review Application, Drain Compliance Data Sheet and permit fee must be submitted with the plans. The application may also be used for annual renewal of the permit to operate when accompanied by the permit fee. Find the checklist here.
Plan Review Applications can be found in our ePermit system. Drain Compliance Data Sheets can be found here. The fee schedule can be found here.
Annual/Seasonal Operation Permit
A separate application and drain compliance data sheet for an operation permit must be submitted annually for each public swimming pool, splash pad, wading pool or spa. The owner or operator shall apply to Catawba County Environmental Health for an operator's permit. Applications can be found here. Drain Compliance Data Sheets can be found here. The fee schedule can be found here.
Find inspection scores here.