Whanganui District Council advise people on making sure pools are safe for summer

The Whanganui District Council are advising people to check their pools are up to code. Photo / Paul Brooks

With the sun beaming over the region, the Whanganui District Council is encouraging pool owners to make sure they know what needs to be done to make their pools safe.

Whanganui District Council’s pool inspector Tom Martin said pools were a great way to cool off, but owning one came with responsibilities, even if there were no small children around.

Legally, Martin said, if a pool could hold water to a depth of 40 centimetres, a barrier needed to be surrounding the pool.

“This rule applies for all pools, including inflatable, portable and kitset pools,” he said.

“If your pool has sides less than 1.2 metres high, you’ll need a pool fence, and it has to be 1.2 metres or higher.

“The rules are a bit different if your pool fence forms part of your boundary fence – in that case, the fence needs to be 1.8m or higher,” he said.

Building consent is needed to construct a pool fence, which will cost $320.

“Paying attention to the condition of pool fencing is also important [...] as drownings can happen because there’s a deteriorating fence or gate, latches that fail, or even gates that are left propped open,” Martin said.

Above-ground pools over 1.2 metres high don’t need a fence, so long as the pool sides are smooth with no protrusions that could be used as footholds, and the ladder or means of getting into the pool can be removed whenever the pool isn’t being used.

Whether the pool needs a fence or not, all pool owners need to make sure there are no climbable objects like trees, pot plants or furniture within 1.2m of the barrier, or pool if a barrier isn’t needed.

Pool owners are responsible for making sure young children are supervised around pools at all times.

To arrange building consent for a pool fence or to ask for advice with your pool, phone the council at 06 349 0001 and ask for Tom Martin, or check out the residential pools section on the council website.