Current through Rules and Regulations filed through September 23, 2024
(1) A surface skimming system shall be
provided on all swimming pools and spas and shall be designed and constructed
to skim the pool or spa surface when the water level is maintained within the
operational parameters of the system's rim or weir device. Surface skimming
devices shall comply with NSF Standard 50.
(2) Skimming devices shall be designed and
installed so as not to constitute a hazard to the user.
(3)
Automatic Surface Skimmers.
Where automatic surface skimmers are used as the sole overflow system in pools,
at least two surface skimmers shall be provided for the first four hundred
square feet or fraction thereof of the water surface area and one skimmer shall
be provided for each additional four hundred square feet of surface area. In
spas, one skimmer shall be provided for each one hundred square feet of surface
area.
(a) Nominal recessed areas such as
stairs and swimouts, shall not be considered in the calculation.
(b) When skimmers are used, they shall be
located to maintain effective skimming action over the entire surface of the
pool or spa.
(c) The skimmer flow
rate shall not be less than twenty- five gallons per minutes or more than
fifty-five gallons per minutes unless they are based on the manufacturer's
design specifications. The flow rate for the skimmers shall comply with
manufacturer data plates or NSF/ANSI 50 including Annex K.
(d) Each skimmer shall have a weir that
adjusts automatically to variations in water level over a minimum range of four
inches.
(e) Each skimmer shall be
equipped with a trimmer valve capable of distributing the total flow between
individual skimmers.
(f) The
skimmer equalizer lines, when used, shall be located on the wall with the
center no more than eighteen inches below the maximum operating
level.
(g) The skimmer equalizer
lines shall be protected by an approved cover/grated with a flow rating equal
the maximum system flow divided by the number of skimmers in the system or the
maximum flow rating of the skimmer, whichever is greater.
(h) Additional skimmers may be required to
achieve effective skimming under site-specific conditions.
(i) The base of each skimmer shall be level
with all other skimmers in the pool within a tolerance of plus or minus
one-half inch.
(4)
Perimeter Surface Skimmer (Gutter). Where a perimeter type surface
skimming system is used as the sole surface skimming system, this system shall
extend completely around the perimeter of the pool except at steps or recessed
ladders.
(a) The lip of the gutter shall be
level and shall be designed to serve as a handhold for bathers.
(b) The perimeter surface skimming system
shall be connected to the circulation system with a system surge capacity of
not less than one gallon for each square foot of pool surface or two and one
half gallons for each square foot of spa surface.
(c) The hydraulic capacity of the overflow
system shall be capable of handling one hundred percent of the circulation
flow.
(d) Gutters shall be level
within a tolerance of plus or minus one-sixteenth inch around the perimeter of
the pool.
(e) Automatic makeup
water supply equipment shall be provided to maintain continuous skimming of
pools with perimeter overflow systems.
(f) Makeup water shall be supplied through an
air gap or other approved backflow prevention device.
O.C.G.A. §§
31-2A-6, 31-12-8, 31-45-10.
