Applying Building Codes and Standards for Swimming Pools and Spas

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the building codes and standards applicable to the construction of swimming pools and spas. It details the relevant standards, including those from the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and the Public Health Act 2010, which govern aspects such as pool design, water quality, and public safety. The report examines performance requirements for domestic swimming pool access, emphasizing fencing, covers for spas, filtration, and maintenance. It further explores deemed-to-satisfy provisions for water recirculation systems, covering water sources, filtration, heating, pH correction, and disinfection processes. The report also classifies different types of swimming pools and spas, including strata title, swim school, council-run, health club, private, hotel, caravan park, and recreation park pools. The document highlights the importance of adhering to these standards to ensure the health and safety of the public and compliance with legal requirements.

ASSESSMENT TOOL
This assessment tool has been designed to provide evidence for the following unit of
competency:
Unit code and
title
CPCCBC4048A Apply building codes and standards to the construction
process for swimming pools and spas
This unit of competency is included in the following qualification(s):
CPC40808 Certificate IV in Swimming Pool and Spa Building
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to plan on-site activities, including the
employment of physical and human resources and the development of documentation and
advice for relevant authorities concerning residential and commercial projects.
The ability to identify appropriate resources and suppliers and assess the availability of and
requirements for skilled labour are essential.
The unit requires candidates to have a comprehensive and appropriate understanding of the
complex range of legislative and workplace requirements to manage risk in building and
construction workplaces.
Instructions to the candidate
 All questions must be attempted.
 You must achieve a satisfactory performance in all parts of the assessment.
 If you do not demonstrate satisfactory performance, you are required to provide further
evidence. This could be in the form of another knowledge-based assessment, interview or
another method deemed appropriate by your assessor.
 This is an open book assessment. You may use your Learner’s Guide, the OHS Act and
Regulations or other reference materials during the assessment.
 Write your answers in black or blue ink.
HS PAGE FOR ASSESSOR’S USE ONLY

nit code and title CPCCBC4048A Apply building codes and standards to the construction
process for swimming pools and spas
Candidate’s name
Assessment outcome
competent  not yet competent 
Feedback for the candidate
Further action required (if assessed as ‘not yet competent’)
Assessor’s name
Assessor’s signature
Date

Assessment Questions and Exercises
INTRODUCTION
Construction includes various terms and condition which are to be taken
care while executing it. Hence, when the government of a country builds
structures the legislation which are associated with it are meant to be followed.
This is to be done in order to have an unaffected surroundings where the
construction is being done. Simultaneously, this report consists of all the
informations related to building and development of swimming pool as well as
spas. The necessary things which have to be taken care in regards to health and
safety of public while operating them have also been stated in this document in
regards to Australia
EXERCISE 1
List the standards which relate to the construction of swimming pools and
spas
BCA stands for Building Code of Australia which is a legislative body
works for uniformity for construction all over the nation. Hence, all the rules and
standards which are being made by this instrument are ought to be followed by
every type of construction company which are established in Australian cities.
Simultaneously, there are a number of standards which have been set by this
association in regards to development of swimming pools and spas in the
boundaries of nation (Howat, 2013). These are necessary to be taken into
account while building any type of pools and spas in country which are to be
used by the public in general. A list of these standards has been given below:
 Public health Act 2010
This is an act which has been propounded to define how swimming pool
and spas have to be constructed and what kind of structures of them be like.
Further definitions are discussed below:
 Must have a structure which can be used by Humans for bathing
According to regulation of NSW a swimming pool is defined as a water
body which is constructed by people and is used for human bathing. So,
appropriate structure according to the requirements have to be made in order to
have a proper management and satisfaction to the general public.
 Swimming and diving can be processed
Pools must have that much space which is accessible for swimming and
diving by the people who are coming there for the same.
 Have an aquatic structure
The structure must be according to the aquatic activities which can be
utilised by various people who are either paying for it or are not been charged by
the authority.
 Public health regulation 2012
This regulation was structured in order to provide best facilities at the
swimming pools and spas which are constructed in the country for the use of
public. Hence, proper sanitisation of water, presence of the lifeguards and all
necessary kits at the pool area must be maintained.
 Location which is chosen must not impact or damage surroundings
The area where pools are being constructed must not cause any kind of
damage to the people who are residing near it. In other words, it must be

unaffected for the people near whom it is built (Hurlimann, 2010). Other than
personal swimming pools which are constructed in premises of houses of people,
this rule is applicable to all other pools which are constructed in office areas,
societies, public clubs, hotels, motels etc.
EXERCISE 2
Performance requirement for domestic swimming pool access
In order to get a domestic swimming pool access, following are the
requirements which have to be obtained for permit regarding same and they are:
 Fencing
There must be a safety provided by some fences which will protect
children from entering the pool. It is a permanent barrier to pool, young children
cannot enter it, it must be 1.2 metres high. Gates to enter the pool are must and
all of them must be built according to the children as they might enter the pool by
mistake and this can cause a mishap.
 Hard cover on Spas
The spas which have been constructed must have covers for the spas
when they are not being used as this will help in protecting children from entering
them.
 Filtration
In order to comply with Australian standards, there must be a filter which must be
situated deep down in the pool for cleaning of the water (MacDonald, 2010).
Also, there must be a complete care of the suction through vacuum in pool or
hair entanglement while going into the pool as this may cause a risk to people
who are using pool.
 Maintenance

There must be regular check of the pool, owner of it must ensure that the
gates of pool are not open always, as well as the pools must be cleaned from
time to time otherwise it will be damaged.
 Supervision
There must be a check on pool from time to time in order to have an idea
who is entering it and who is not entering as it may cause a problem for the
children if they enter it by mistake. Emergency number as well as lifeguarding
facilities should be there.
 Development approval for a new pool
The local council of BCA which is there in the city where pool is located
will check pool according to their standards which are location of the pool, safety
of the pump and structural adequacy for the pool. Also fencing must be there.
 Getting pool inspected
Within every 2 months the council of Australia inspects the pool from time
to time to ensure the proper working and requirements of the pool which is built
in domestic areas.
EXERCISE 3
Deemed-to-satisfy provisions for swimming pool water recirculation
systems
The satisfactory provision in order to have a proper water circulation
system in a pool for its filtration is very necessary for spas as well. This makes
sure that the water which is inside the pool is safe and uninfected as infection in
it may cause many problems to the person who is using it (Cogger, 2014). So
there are many provision which are to be taken care and they are justified as
under:
 Fresh water
The supply of water which is fresh and obtained from various connection
and suppliers which are jointed with tank is obtained for further process which is

to be initiated. This is provided by the government of the country to swimming
pools.
 Raw water tank
Water which is obtained from various sources is equipped and gathered in
this tank for further process. Before the supply of water into the pool it is
collected in raw water tank and it is approximately assumed that 1% of water is
lost while doing so.
 Sand gravel filter
Than from the raw water tank it is further transferred to sand gravel
filtration where water is being purified by various particles. Simultaneously, water
is being cleaned by this process.
 Heating
After sand gravel filtration water is sent for heating so that all the
bacteria's can be removed in order to keep the water safe and health for the use
by various people.
 pH correction & disinfection
There is a level of pH which have to be maintained by the pool and there
operators and it have been regulated by legal bodies (Williams, 2010). The pH
must be between 7.2 to 7.5 for which various substances are added to water to
maintain the level. Also to avoid disinfection chlorine is added to water in
between 1 to 10 ppm so as to maintain quality of water for usage.
 Swimming pool
After all these process the water is transferred to pool for final use by
people who are willing to do so.
 Measuring and control equipment
The equipment for monitoring water level and pH & Cl2 control must be
there for a regular check in order to maintain safety in the pool for a continuous
period.
The above provisions for swimming pool water circulation must be
followed by a pool owner or any type of public community who is maintaining a
pool.
EXERCISE 4
Types of swimming pools and spas.
1 Strata Title Swimming Pool These are the pools which are wholly
owned and managed by the owners of
the property. They are exempted from
many rules which a re being
implemented by the government of
country.
2 Swim School Swimming Pool Pools which are owned by schools who
tech swimming to children as well as
adults comes under this category
(Raisbeck, 2010). They are controlled
and regulated by government of
country.
3 Council Run Swimming Pool Subsidized pools by the government
and various associations for the use of

general public in the country.
4 Health Club Spa A place which is made for exercising as
well as there are facilities like bathing,
Jacuzzi etc. which are paid facilities
and considered as a business which is
performed by many people in the
nation.
5 Private Swimming Pool This is just a pool which is for
swimming of a person owned by an
individual or any group of people who
have similar needs.
6 Hotel Swimming Pool They are the pools which are situated
in hotels which are operating for the
customers. People who visits these
hotels can take pleasure of swimming
in these pools.
7 Caravan Park Swimming Pool Caravan park is a place where people
can stay for a night and more in allotted
pitches to stay and the pools there can
be used by them. They are really good
and nicely placed pools for usage by
public owned and controlled by
associations and government jointly.
8 Recreation Park Swimming Pool These are the parks which are built for
rehabilitation of wildlife and other
animals (Grafton, 2012). The pools
which are created in them are
managed by government and people
can use them for their leisure and fun.
9 Private Portable Spa A portable tub which is movable and
contains water for bathing and spa. It
can be used for getting therapies from
hot water to relax body.
10 Indoor Private Swimming Pool These are the pools which are built in
house of people or any place which is
covered with roof and is not open.
11 Resort Swimming Pool Places which are very beautiful and
huge also they are built as hotels but in
a very large area contains pools for
swimming for people who visit it.

EXERCISE 5
Drainage system to be used around swimming pools
System of drainage which is being used around swimming pool is
illustrated below:
 Suction
There are wholes which are there in pool through which water is sucked
into the pipes through which drainage system is initiated (Weiss, 2010). These
are very high pressure suction parts which are there in pools and they are used
to draining and filter water. It is advised that people should take care of these
suction points as the hair can get tangled in them which may create problem.
 Floating weir
With the help of water return inlet water is diverted to drainage backwash
system of the pool. Through which further process is initiated for clearing water
from the pool.
 Returns
The water is retuned to the storage tank through which the water is
returned in order to flow that out from the swimming pool. Thus there is an inlet
and outlet two way process for drainage and water filling in the pool.
 Vacuum ports
The vacuum are the machines which are located in the pool for
contracting water by circulating it through a motor upon which they are working
this helps in letting the water out of the pool by air which pulls it out of it. This
way the drainage system is supported by vacuum ports in the pool.
Water is used in the swimming pool till the time it is being reusable
through various filtration processes whenever the water looses its pH and Cl
level it is drained out by again reheating it and removing chemicals from it which
can harm the soil and other animals (Australia, 2012). So this process is
circulated in the similar way so as to not harm people who are using pool as well

as the surroundings where water is being dispatched after its maximum usage.
Thus, this is the drainage system which is being used by the around swimming
pools most of the whiles.
EXERCISE 6
Difference between a public pool and a private pool equipments
Basis/Pools Private Pool Public Pool
Recirculation The system of
recirculation is small as
the size of pool is short.
The structure of
recirculation is very huge
as it is a public pool with
huge size. So a better
and advanced technology
is to be used in order to
recirculate water which is
in very large quantity.
Filtration The pump and other
equipments which are
being used for filtering
water are much smaller
according to size of pool.
As it depends on the
capacity of water which it
holds (Light, 2010).
Capacity of water is
comparatively high in
case of these pools. So
there are very strong and
huge filtration method is
used.
Heating Heating is done when the
pool is being used by the
private owner of the pool.
It is also depends and
controlled by the pool
owner to which level it
wants water to be heated.
Water in this case is
heated according to the
moderate temperature
which is suitable for each
and every person who
have been using pool.
Sanitising Cleanliness is mainly
based on owner and its
effective participation and
concern for it.
It is being done on
regular basis by check
control which are
regulated by government
of the country to protect
health and safety of
people.

EXERCISE 7
Responsibilities in relation to barriers around a swimming pool
The fencing and barriers which have been built by me near the swimming
pools are for the safety of children who are very younger in age in order to
provide them with secured living. There are chances where kids can enter the
pool which can be unannounced but may cause a harm to life of them. Likewise,
there are a lot of news which have come up addressing about the instances
which have caused life's of children due to no barriers like fencing around the
pool. So, these needs to be taken care for safeguarding young generation of the
country as well as the small member of family (Tang, 2010). Fencing also helps
in getting awareness about the situations which might be caused by unavailability
of it. This is a type of protection which do not harm anyone so have to be done
when pool is constructed at any place. My responsibilities are that the fencing is
1.2 metres high or more according to the requirements and keeping in mind to
built a door which have latch so that kids and young children cannot open it by
themselves this may save from some mishaps which can be caused.
EXERCISE 8
Measures of BCA that should be considered when building a
swimming pool
Measures which are to be considered while constructing a swimming pool
is given under:
 It must not have people who are residing near construction area
The people who are living near the area where pool is being constructed
must not get any kind of damage through digging of the filled land and they must
not be disturbed.
 It must not be constructed on places where not allowed
The places where it is not allowed to construct pool like- kids prone area,
where there is shortage of water must be taken into account according to BCA.
 While digging the ground sand which is obtained must be utilised

The sand after digging the ground must be properly disposed after the
construction of the pool so that no harm or any kind of blockage is caused due to
it.
 Cleanliness of the area where it is being built
The area which is being built must be cleaned after building the same as
this may impact the people who are living there.
EXERCISE 9
Documentation required when building a swimming pool
according to BCA
There are several documents which have to be there when a person plans
to construct a swimming pool in Australia (Cheng, 2010). The list of these
documents have been given below:
 All the details regarding plans and procedures as a Building Solution have
to be presented.
 If any kind of Alternative or any other solution is proposed following are
required:
◦ Relevant requirements for performance.
◦ Compliance methods must be there for assessment.
◦ Expert and relevant details to their qualities and experiences.
◦ Details of tests according top performance.
◦ Standards details upon which information will be relied.
 Building permit documentation for safety barriers
 Building permit documentation for water reticulation
 Permit to construct swimming pool for public use
These are the various documents which are to be acquired in order to
build a swimming pool under the regulations of BCA.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Australia, S.W., 2012. Work-related traumatic injury fatalities, Australia 2009-10.
Australian Government-Safe Work Australia.
Cogger, H., 2014. Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Csiro Publishing.
Grafton, R.Q., Libecap, G.D., Edwards, E.C., O'Brien, R.B. and Landry, C., 2012.
Comparative assessment of water markets: insights from the Murray–
Darling Basin of Australia and the Western USA. Water Policy. 14(2).
pp.175-193.
Howat, G. and Assaker, G., 2013. The hierarchical effects of perceived quality on
perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: Empirical results from public,
outdoor aquatic centres in Australia. Sport Management Review. 16(3).
pp.268-284.
Hurlimann, A. and Dolnicar, S., 2010. When public opposition defeats alternative
water projects–the case of Toowoomba Australia. Water research. 44(1).
pp.287-297.
Light, R.L., 2010. Children’s social and personal development through sport: A
case study of an Australian swimming club. Journal of Sport and Social
Issues. 34(4). pp.379-395.
MacDonald, D.H., Crossman, N.D., Mahmoudi, P., Taylor, L.O., Summers, D.M.
and Boxall, P.C., 2010. The value of public and private green spaces
under water restrictions. Landscape and Urban Planning. 95(4). pp.192-
200.
Raisbeck, P., Duffield, C. and Xu, M., 2010. Comparative performance of PPPs
and traditional procurement in Australia. Construction Management and
Economics. 28(4). pp.345-359.
Tang, L., Shen, Q. and Cheng, E.W., 2010. A review of studies on public–private
partnership projects in the construction industry. International Journal of
Project Management. 28(7). pp.683-694.
Weiss, J. and Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention, 2010.
Prevention of drowning. Pediatrics. 126(1). pp.e253-e262.
Williams, N.S., Rayner, J.P. and Raynor, K.J., 2010. Green roofs for a wide
brown land: Opportunities and barriers for rooftop greening in
Australia. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 9(3). pp.245-251.

Assessment Task 1
AS 1926.3 specifies that suction point covers require permanent compliance
markings. Show (in the form of photos, documents etc) compliance with this
requirement on one of your projects. Source and provide a copy of
manufacturers literature for a compliant suction point cover used on the project.
Assessment Task 2
Using a sample swimming pool (constructed or under construction), show how
the project complies with BCA requirements.
Reference BCA clauses and relevant standards.
Include copies of swimming pool or spa plans and documentation showing
compliance.