Oklahoma Administrative Code
Title 310 - Oklahoma State Department of Health
Chapter 320 - Public Bathing Place Operations
Subchapter 1 - General Provisions
Section 310:320-1-2 - Definitions
"Adjustable inlet" means a fitting mounted in the pool wall and connected to the return piping from the recirculation system that is directionally adjustable or a fitting mounted in the pool floor and connected to the return piping from the recirculation system that has a means of flow adjustment.
"Air induction system" means a system whereby a volume of air (only) is induced into hollow ducting built into a spa floor, bench, or other location. The air induction system is activated by a separate air power unit (blower).
"Attendant" means any person capable of providing rescue who is responsible to the management.
"Backwash" means the process of thoroughly cleansing the filter media and/or elements by reverse flow.
"Backwash cycle" means the time required to thoroughly backwash the filter media and/or elements and the contents of the filter vessel.
"Bathing load" means the maximum number of persons allowed in the pool enclosure at one time.
"Department" means the Oklahoma State Department of Health and authorized representatives.
"Diatomaceous earth (DE) filter" means a filter that utilizes a layer of filter aid as its filter medium that periodically must be replaced.
"Filter" means a device that separates solid particles from water by recirculating it through a porous substance (a filter medium or element).
"Filter aid" means a type of finely divided medium used to coat a septum type filter, usually DE, perlite, or similar material.
"Filter media" means a finely graded material (such as sand) which removes filterable particles from the water.
"Hydrotherapy, whirlpool, or spa pool" means a public pool used exclusively in conjunction with high velocity air and/or high velocity water recirculation systems, utilizing hot, cold, or ambient temperature water. These pools will be referred to as spas.
"Individual therapy units" means tanks which are designed for the therapeutic treatment of one individual at one time and are drained and cleaned after each individual use. Individual therapy units are not considered public bathing places.
"Ladders" means a series of vertically separated treads or rungs either connected by vertical rail members or independently fastened to an adjacent vertical spa/pool wall.
"Open to the general public" means not restricted to tenants or guests.
"Overflow system" means the term overflow system encompasses perimeter type overflows, surface skimmers, and surface water collection systems of various design and manufacture. The water line shall be established by the height of the overflow rim or the midpoint of the skimmer channel.
"Perimeter overflow gutter" means a trough or gutter around the pool walls with the overflow lip effecting a skimming action to clean the pool water surface.
"Pool deck" means the unobstructed area around the outside of the pool curb, diving boards, diving towers, and/or pool slides.
"Pool floor" means the interior bottom pool/spa surface and consists of that surface from a horizontal plan up to a maximum of a 45° slope.
"Pool turnover" means the circulation of a quantity of water equal to the pool volume through the filtration system.
"Portable pool" means a shallow pool, with depth not exceeding 4.5 feet, intended only for swimming instruction, which can be quickly erected, used for an instruction period then dismantled and moved to another location.
"Private pool" means a pool maintained by an individual for the use of their family and friends, with no other formal admission requirement.
"Public bathing place" or "public pool" means all entirely artificially constructed wading pools, swimming pools, bathhouses used collectively by a number of persons for wading, swimming, recreative, or therapeutic bathing, together with all sanitary facilities, bathing suits, buildings, equipment, and appurtenances pertaining to such bathing places; provided, that such term shall not apply to those public or semipublic baths where the main object is the external cleansing of the body, to bathing places maintained by an individual for the use of family and friends, or to bathing places owned or managed by a group or association of the owners of thirty or fewer homes, the use of which is limited to the homeowner group and their nonpaying guests. The term "public bathing place" does not include spray pads or spray grounds, As used in this section, "spray pads or spray grounds" mean interactive recreation areas intended for use by children in which the water is supplied by a system of sprays and is not allowed to accumulate above ground [63 O.S. § 1-1013].
"Recessed" means open areas that may or may not include steps, benches, or fountains that extend down from the deck and terminating at the pool wall
"Recessed steps" means a riser/tread or series of risers/treads extending down from the deck with the bottom riser/tread terminating at the spa/pool wall, thus creating a "stairwell."
"Recessed treads" means a series of vertically spaced cavities in the spa/pool wall created treat areas for stepholes.
"Recirculation system" means the system traversed by the recirculated water from the pool until it is returned to the pool (from the outlets, through the pump, filter, chemical treatment, and heater, to the return inlets).
"Special purpose pool" means a public pool used exclusively for a particular purpose, including but not limited to springboard or platform diving training, scuba diving instruction, and aquatic programs for handicapped individuals and kindergarten children.
"Turnover rate" means the period of time (usually in hours) required to circulate a volume of water equal to the pool capacity.
"Wading pool" means a pool intended for use by children and having a maximum depth not exceeding 18 inches.
"Water line" means the line along the pool that was designed for maximum efficiency and sanitation. For skimmers it is about mid-tile and for gutters they should be overflowing:
"Water recreation attraction" means a public bathing or swimming facility with design and operational features that provide patrons recreational activity which is different from that associated with a conventional pool and purposefully involves total or partial immersion in the water. Water recreation attractions include but are not limited to water slides, water amusement lagoons, and wave pools.
