Pennsylvania Code
Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Part II - LOCAL HEALTH
Chapter 18 - PUBLIC SWIMMING AND BATHING PLACES
WATER SUPPLY
Section 18.30 - Water samples

Universal Citation: 28 PA Code ยง 18.30

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024

(a) The permittee shall be responsible for the collection and examination of samples for the purity of the water used for swimming or bathing. The samples shall be examined by a laboratory which complies with § 18.31 (relating to laboratory testing).

(b) A sample shall be taken within 1 week prior to the opening of the bathing beach for the season.

(c) The permittee shall have a bacteriological analysis made at least once each week of a sample collected during the period of maximum use of the public bathing place. The permittee shall furnish additional analyses of samples as described under subsection (d)(3) upon written notification by the Department.

(d) Bathing water shall be sampled in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) Each sample shall be taken from water that is approximately 30 inches deep and at a midpoint between the bottom and the surface of the water.

(2) Each sample shall be tested individually for E. coli in accordance with § 18.31.

(3) The Department may require additional samples be taken based upon the size of the bathing area, bather loads, weather conditions, the bacteriological history of the water, as well as other factors that may influence the quality of the water.

(e) For a bathing beach located on Lake Erie, the bathing water shall be sampled in accordance with subsections (a), (b) and (d) and the following additional requirements:

(1) At least three samples of water shall be taken from each beach at least once a week. One sample shall be taken from approximately 50 feet from each end of the beach and the third sample shall be taken from the center of the beach.

(2) The arithmetic mean of the three samples from each beach shall be used to determine if the beach water is contaminated using the standards described in § 18.28 (relating to bathing beach contamination).

(3) A sample may not be taken when the beach is closed due to high wave activity, but shall be taken the day the beach is reopened for swimming and bathing.

(4) The Erie County Department of Health may impose additional requirements that are equal to or more stringent than the requirements of this section.

(f) For a swimming pool, specialty pool, spa and hot tub the bathing water shall be sampled at least once a week from the area of average depth, in accordance with § 18.27 (relating to swimming pool contamination).

(g) Copies of reports of analyses shall be maintained by the permittee for at least 2 years and made available to the Department upon request.

(h) The laboratory conducting the bacteriological testing shall report test results exceeding the criteria specified in §§ 18.27 and 18.28 to the appropriate district office of the Department or the local health department within 24 hours of the availability of the laboratory result.

The provisions of this §18.30 amended under the Public Bathing Law (35 P. S. §§ 672-680d); the Local Health Administration Law (16 P. S. §§ 12001-12028); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929) (71 P. S. § 510-20).

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