About spa and pool inspections
Summary
If you've ever wondered whether the neighborhood pool or spa is meeting state health requirements, look no further. In this section of EveryBlock, we publish inspection results from pools, spas and wading pools within Charlotte's city limits.
Each inspection report from the Mecklenburg County Health Department includes the inspection's date and location, the facility's name, the type of facility (swimming pool, wading pool or spa, etc.), the status of the facility's permit (active, suspended, etc.) and what violations, if any, were found by inspectors. Also included is the inspection score (the total number of violation points added up) and inspectors' comments.
Violations can range from the lack of an emergency telephone to problems with the pool's acidity level.
Source
The data comes from the Mecklenburg County Health Department. The county collects new inspection data each day, and we at EveryBlock publish it shortly thereafter. However, new inspection reports are not added each day.
How does the inspection process work?
Spas and pools in Charlotte are inspected by the county health department's Environmental Health Division.
The data includes inspections of year-round and seasonal swimming pools, spas and wading pools. Seasonal facilities are inspected once a year, and year-round facilities are inspected twice a year. For more, North Carolina provides a list of facility types, and includes information about how often facilities are inspected.
Pools, spas and wading pools receive scores based on the total number of violation points they receive. They can get 2-, 4- or 6-point deductions, depending on the violation. North Carolina provides a list of violations and their point values on its Inspection of a Swimming Pool form.
Six-point violations are deemed critical, and facilities can fail inspection and face closure if the problems aren't corrected during the inspection. Four-point violations can result in a pool getting an intent to suspend notice. This means the pool must fix the problem within 30 days or it will be closed. The pool can file an appeal to remain open beyond the 30-day period.
The county outlines rules for swimming pools, spas and wading pools on its Rules governing public swimming pools in Mecklenburg County.
When inspectors find conditions or practices that represent a public health hazard, the operator will be told to correct the problem — even if it means closing the facility. In that case, the facility shall remain closed until the health hazard has been fixed.
If inspectors find conditions that represent a public nuisance, the operator shall be notified that the problem must be corrected in a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days. If that doesn't happen, the operator must close if that will correct the problem. Once closed, the facility shall remain closed until an inspection reveals the public nuisance has been fixed.
