S.C. Code Regs. § § 61-51.B

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024

Section 61-51.B - CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING PERMITS

1. Applicability. Requirements of this section are applicable to all new construction and alterations of existing public swimming pools.

2. Construction Permit. No public swimming pool may be constructed or altered until a permit to construct has been issued by the Department.

3. Application for Permit to Construct. The application must be made on a form supplied by the Department and be accompanied by the appropriate application/review fee. The application must include:

(a) The names, complete address and telephone number of the owner, pool contractor, and facility; contractor's license number and project cost as defined by South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, General and Mechanical Contracting Act, Chapter 11, Title 40. The owner must sign the application.

(b) Responsibilities of the owner and pool contractor to include: the swimming pool, deck and coping, equipment room, fence, area lights, bathhouse, minimum toilet facilities, chemical storage room, water lines, hose bibbs and water discharge lines, where applicable.

(c) Details of the pool to include type of pool, perimeter, area, volume, minimum flow rate, design flow rate, total deck area, pool limit and deck limit.

4. Plans and Specifications. At least four (4) copies of complete plans and specifications meeting the following requirements must accompany all applications of permits to construct:

(a) Plans and specifications shall be prepared, stamped, dated and signed by an architect or engineer registered in the State of South Carolina. Once construction starts, the pool contractor must maintain a copy of the DHEC-approved plans and specifications on the job site until the final inspection.

(b) Plans shall be submitted on sheets no larger than thirty-six (36) inches by forty-two (42) inches and no smaller than eighteen (18) inches by twenty-four (24) inches.

(c) Typed or legible specifications shall be submitted on sheets eight and one half (8 1/2) inches by eleven (11) inches or printed on the plans.

(d) Plans and specifications must include data that pertains to that project only (except site plans; which by their nature must include other structures and details). Standard plans and/or specifications with crossed-out sections or inapplicable provisions will not be acceptable for review.

(e) Plans and specifications must include:

(i) A location map with the name of the facility, the location showing distance in miles and local landmarks and the names and addresses of the owners.

(ii) An outlined block for the perimeter, the surface area, the volume, the total deck area, the minimum flow rate, the design flow rate, the swimming limit and the deck limit specifically listed on the plans.

(f) A site plan must be provided consisting of a detailed layout of the facility and the surrounding structures. The site plan must show the distance to toilet facilities, telephone, the location of utilities that affect construction of the pool, elevation differences in the deck and surrounding structures, the location and elevations of planters within 10 feet of the pool edge, etc.

(g) Plan and profile views of the public swimming pool must be shown. These views must be drawn to a minimum of 1/8"' scale with all major pool dimensions shown on the drawing. All equipment (fittings, ladders, diving boards, main drains, surface skimmers, overflow gutters, inlets, lights, piping location, fill spout, etc.) shall be clearly located on these views.

(h) A complete equipment list must be included. This list must include manufacturer's name and manufacturer's complete model number (not distributor's name and model number).

(i) Actual layout of deck area including dimensions, showing the location of hose bibbs, footshowers, overflows, depth markers, deck drains, and deck lighting must be provided. Deck material and color must be specified. The quantity of lighting in watts, lumens, or foot candles that will be provided for the deck and pool areas must be provided where night swimming is requested.

(j) Schematic plumbing diagrams showing pipe sizes on each section of pipe, valves, flow meter, heater, filters, pumps, etc. must be shown.

(k) Equipment room plan drawing showing actual layout of equipment (heater, pump, filter, chlorinator, and other equipment), spacing, elevation, all pipe sizes, location and size of sumps, floor drains and other appurtenances with dimensions given and drawn to a minimum 1/4"' scale shall be provided. The volume of the equipment and chemical storage rooms must be provided along with the minimum size of the exhaust fans to be installed.

(l) Source of pool water used must be specified.

(m) Disposition of sanitary sewage from the facility must be specified.

(n) Disposition of filter backwash must be specified. Approval from the Department will be required for all discharges.

(o) Complete details of any required bathhouse or minimum toilet facility shall be submitted.

5. Design/Equipment Changes.

(a) New Construction. Once a construction permit has been issued for a public swimming pool, construction must be in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. Should design changes or equipment changes become necessary during construction, a Swimming Pool Change Order Request Form, detailing the proposed changes must be submitted to and approved by the Department prior to initiation of such changes. Revised plans documenting all construction modifications will be required to be submitted prior to the final Department inspection. The submittal must include four (4) complete sets of revised plans that are signed, sealed, and dated by the project architect or engineer.

(b) Existing Facilities. After a pool has received approval to be placed into operation, a Change Order Request Form must be submitted in accordance with Section I for any alteration which does not conform to the original permitted plans, specifications, or previously approved change order.

(c) Fees. The appropriate fee if any must be submitted with the Change Order Request.

6. Piping Inspection. During actual construction of the public swimming pool, after all piping has been installed and before it is covered, the contractor, design engineer, or architect, must notify the Department in writing so that an inspection of all piping, fittings, and other applicable equipment can be conducted to verify their sizes and locations. Pressure testing of the piping must be conducted in accordance with R.61-51.C.24(d). If there are any variations from the approved plans and specifications, such variations must be corrected by the contractor, or plans and specifications detailing the changes must be re-submitted for a construction permit revision prior to continuance of construction.

7. Final Approval. No newly constructed or altered public swimming pool shall be placed into operation until a final inspection of the facility has been conducted and a written approval to be placed into operation is issued by the Department. Before the final inspection can be conducted three (3) letters must be submitted, one by the pool contractor; one by the general contractor, owner or his designated agent; and one by the project architect or engineer; certifying that the public swimming pool, bathhouse, minimum toilet facilities, if required, fence, equipment room, area lighting, if provided, and other applicable items have been constructed according to approved plans and specifications and is ready for the final inspection. All three letters must be received by the Department before a final inspection will be conducted. In addition to the three certification letters, the engineer and or the architect or their representative must complete a copy of the Department's final inspection checklist, and it must be submitted to the Department prior to the final inspection. A contractor's and owner's representative must be present at the time of the final inspection.

8. Fees. The Department shall collect non-refundable application/review fee(s) with each application according to the schedule outlined in R.61-30,Environmental Protection Fees.

9. Repeat Inspections. The Department may collect an additional fee from the contractor for each repeat piping inspection for each pool and from the owner for each repeat final inspection for each pool that is required due to incomplete construction or construction that is not in accordance with permitted plans and specifications as outlined in R.61-30. There will be a mandatory two (2) day (business days) waiting period between all repeat piping, final, and change order inspections to provide for review and rescheduling.

10. Construction Contractor. All new construction and alterations to existing public swimming pools must be performed by a contractor holding a South Carolina license with the appropriate sub-classification in accordance with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation's General and Mechanical Contracting Act, Chapter 11, Title 40 as amended.

11. Permit Terms. A permit is valid for one (1) year from the date of issue unless an alternate date is established by the Department. This one (1) year period includes the time it takes to obtain a Final Approval. A permit extension may be granted for up to one year from the date of the request. Extension requests must be submitted on a Change Order Request form and will not be granted if the request is received more than one year from the expiration date of the permit. Up to three permit extensions can be granted. Unless an extension can be granted as provided above, a new application, with the appropriate fee and permit package must be submitted for expired permits.

S.C. Code Regs. § 61-51.B

Replaced and amended by State Register Volume 38, Issue No. 6, eff 6/27/2014.