NORWICH – Summer is here again, and that means we will be filling up our swimming pools. Pools are a great way to cool off from the summer sun, but they can also be dangerous.

More than 300 children across the nation under the age of five drown in residential swimming pools each year, and 2000 other children are treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to submersion.

New York State has regulations regarding swimming pools. Due to these regulations and the number of small swimming pools that are becoming available, the public should be aware that building permits are required. The term “swimming pool” describes “any structure intended for swimming, recreational bathing or wading which contains or which is designed to contain water over 24 inches deep. This includes in-ground, above-ground and on-ground pools; indoor pools; hot tubs; spas; and fixed-in-place wading pools.”

Any swimming pool being installed, constructed, or substantially modified in Chenango County is required to have a Building Permit. It also must meet the New York State Department of State Swimming Pool Rules and Regulations regarding barriers and pool alarms. An outdoor residential swimming pool must have a barrier that completely surrounds the swimming pool and prohibits access to the pool. The barrier can be a fence, wall, rigid pool side, building, or a combination thereof and must be at least 4 feet high. Depending on the type of swimming pool, it must meet several other requirements that can be found online at www.dos.ny.gov/DCEA/currpoolreq.htm.