In 2020, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), launched the Aquatic Health and Safety Pilot Program to provide funding and technical assistance to two local health departments in updating their pool codes, using the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) as a resource. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (OH) and the City of Kansas City Health Department (MO) were selected to participate in this program.

While aquatic activities such as swimming offer a variety of health benefits, there are still several associated risks, such as pool chemical injuries and unintentional drownings. Pool codes are regulated and enforced by local and/or state health departments to ensure that conditions at aquatic facilities are safe and healthy for both staff and patrons. The CDC’s MAHC provides up-to-date research and guidance for jurisdictions to voluntarily adopt into their pool codes and can help save health officials time and money when updating or developing their pool codes.

Read more about the lessons learned from both Cuyahoga County and Kansas City; how they plan to update their pool codes in accordance with the MAHC; and recommendations for jurisdictions looking to update their pool codes in the July/August 2021 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.