Pool Rules - Town of Somerset

Welcome to the Somerset Pool. So that all of our residents, from infants to centenarians, may enjoy a safe, pleasant time, the Town Swimming Pool Committee has designed these rules for pool use. Please inform your families and guests of these rules and the necessity to follow them and the instructions of the pool manager and staff. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Pool Committee Chair or place your comments in the suggestion box at the pool.

I. GENERAL

1. The pool is the property of the Town of Somerset. For that reason, unless an exception is otherwise authorized by the Town Council, only persons residing in the Town of Somerset (or who have binding contracts to purchase a residence within the Town, or who have purchased a house in the Town but have yet to move in) and Town employees are permitted to register to use the pool. Town employee members have the same rights and responsibilities as residents.

2. The Swimming Pool Committee is appointed and authorized by the Mayor and the Town Council to supervise the operation and management of the pool and to sponsor activities at the pool.

4. All comments/complaints about the management of the pool should be made to the Swimming Pool Committee Chair or Vice-Chair.

5. The legal capacity of the Somerset Pool enclosure is 375 persons. The pool management will limit admissions to meet this requirement.

6. Guest passes may be purchased at the pool office by check only. Weekly passes are only sold at Town Hall.

7. Cars may be parked only in the upper parking lot, except for those transporting individuals with disabilities. Vehicles are not permitted beyond the bridge except for disabled persons, delivery, repair and emergency personnel. Do not cross the bridge to drop off or pick up swimmers, except for disabled persons.

II. DEFINITIONS

1. The "deep end" of the main pool is the 25 meter length of the pool including the diving board. The "shallow end" of the pool is that portion of the pool at a right angle to the deep end. The "wading pool" is the shallow pool separate from the main pool.

2. The "pool enclosure" is the area bordered by the fences and the pool side of the bathhouse.

3. The "picnic grove" is the natural area north of the pool deck. The "pool deck" is composed of the concrete slabs contiguous to the pools.

III. POOL HOURS

1. The pool is open daily from the weekend before Memorial Day through the second Sunday after Labor Day and for the following two weekends.

3. The pool enclosure will be closed during thunder and lightning for a minimum of thirty minutes; when necessary for maintenance operations; or as determined by the pool management for the health and safety of pool patrons.

4. Breaks will occur on the hour for fifteen minutes when the pool is open. Children (thirteen years and younger) may not use the main pool during breaks. Breaks may be shortened or otherwise adjusted at the discretion of the pool manager.

5. Use of the pool when it is closed is prohibited, except for special occasions during which private parties may have access.

IV. MAIN POOL

1. Use of the pool

a.     All persons who use the pool must be individually signed in at the front desk and may be required to present appropriate identification.

b.     Children seven years and younger may not swim or be in the pool enclosure unless supervised by a qualified adult (persons fourteen years or older).

c.     Adults and children may use the designated lap lanes for lap swimming only.

d.     All adults supervising children should provide maximum supervision. If children are in the water, the supervising adult must accompany them or sit at poolside within a few feet of them.

e.     If there are a sufficient number of lap swimmers, the diving well may be closed for lap swimming.

f.      Incontinent individuals must wear tightly fitting rubber pants.

2. Use of pool by children

a.     Infants (children three years and younger) are allowed in the shallow portion of the main pool. Infants who are not potty trained must wear diapers covered by rubber pants with snug-fitting legs and waists. A swimsuit must be worn over the rubber pants and diapers.

b.     Infants must be under the constant supervision of a custodial adult who must be in the water with the infant at all times, on a one-to-one situation. An infant or child may wear a securely-attached flotation device, provided an adult is supervising the child at arms-length distance in the water at all times.

c.     All children must pass the Basic Proficiency Swimming Test ("BPST") annually to the satisfaction of the pool manager or his/her designee to swim in all areas of the deep end of the main pool or to use the diving board. To pass this test, the child shall:

(1) Swim fifty meters (two lengths of the deep end) with confidence;

(2) Float for one minute; and

(3) Tread water for one minute.

3. Diving

a.     Diving from the diving board is permitted only when the diving well has been roped off. Swimming in the well is permitted when the well has been opened.

b.     Only those children who have passed the BPST may use the diving board.

c.     After a dive, divers must swim to the nearest ladder. Divers may leave the board only after the previous diver has cleared the area below.

d.     Only one person at a time is permitted on the diving board and only one on the diving board ladder. Horseplay and/or excessive bouncing on the diving board are not permitted.

e.     Running dives and back dives from the deck are not allowed.

f.      At all times when the pool is open, diving is permitted only into the deeper half of the deep end of the pool where the water is at least six feet deep. No dives are permitted in other parts of the pool.

4. Water Slide

a.     The water slide may be used only when the landing area is roped off. The pool management controls the times for using the slide.

b.     Use of the water slide is limited to:

(1) adults; or

(2) children who have passed the BPST; or have passed a separate test given by the pool management for using the water slide; or have not passed either of the above tests, but only at certain times when a lifeguard is in the area specifically for assisting those children.

c.     Use of the slide must be "feet first."

d.     A person must exit the landing area immediately after using the slide. The next person may begin a slide only after the previous person has cleared the area below.

e.     Only one person at a time is permitted on the slide platform and only one on the ladder.

f.      An adult may be present in the slide landing area in order to assist a child's use of the slide. There shall be no catching of children coming off of the slide before they hit the water.

5. Safety

a.     In the event of an emergency, the pool will be cleared. The signal for this will be three sharp blasts of a lifeguard's whistle.

b.     All injuries on the premises should be reported immediately to the pool manager or lifeguard.

c.     Glass containers (including suntan lotion, shampoo, and baby bottles) of any description are prohibited.

d.     Rough play, running, pushing, acrobatics, dunking, wrestling, excessive splashing, and other such objectionable and dangerous behaviors are prohibited.

e.     Soft plastic balls, snorkels, face masks, and foot fins are permitted at the discretion of the lifeguards. Inflatable toys, inner tubes, and other inflatable or styrofoam devices are not permitted except on raft nights, and except for infants and children in accordance with Section IV 2.b.

f.      Pool kickboards are reserved for lap swimming, swim team practice, and lessons, under the supervision of a staff member or other qualified instructor.

6. Health

a.     All persons must be clean before entering the pool.

b.     Smoking is limited to the upper parking lot beyond and away from the bridge. Smokers are required to dispose of their smoking debris. Smoking is not permitted at swim meets.

c.     Pets are never allowed in the pool enclosure except for the last evening of the pool season.

d.     Admission to the pool enclosure is forbidden, at the discretion of the pool management, to anyone wearing bandages, or with skin abrasions, colds, coughs, extremely inflamed eyes, open sores, infections, excessive sunburn, nasal or ear discharge, or other symptoms which are determined by pool management to be detrimental to the health of others.

e.     Spitting, spouting of water, blowing the nose, or urinating or defecating in the pool is prohibited at all times.

V. WADING POOL

1. The wading pool is reserved for children seven years and younger. However, children eight and over who are assisting in the care of younger children may use the wading pool, provided they are in the company of a responsible adult.

2. Children must be accompanied in the wading pool enclosure by a supervising adult (fourteen years and older).

VI. FOOD

1. Food and beverages are generally prohibited, except as provided herein and in connection with the picnic grove as described in Section VII below.

3. Formula or milk in plastic baby bottles may be fed to babies held in an adult's lap in the wading pool enclosure.

VII. PICNIC GROVE

1. Within the pool enclosure, food may be kept and eaten only in the picnic grove. Food may be brought to the picnic grove only through the bathhouse and over the upper walkway.

2. Cooking is not permitted in the picnic grove, except when using the barbecue grill supplied by the Town. Use of the Town's grill is permitted:

3. If you are planning a group picnic, follow the guidelines in Section VIII 10.

4. Trash must be kept from blowing into the pool enclosure. It should be deposited in the trash cans in the picnic grove. To keep animals and insect from rummaging, please remember to replace the top to the trash cans.

VIII. GUESTS

1. Guests must be personally known to their hosts. In no event may a resident extend guest privileges to a person soliciting entry.

3. Except as otherwise provided, all guests must be accompanied at check-in by a resident and present a guest card for admittance.

5. Close relatives who do not live in Somerset have the option of using the pool without the presence of a resident to sign them in if they have obtained a special registration card designated for guests. They must sign in as guests noting the registrant's name in the registrant's column. Close relatives are residents' children (23 years and older), grandchildren, parents, siblings, and in-laws.

6. Non-resident, unmarried children, 22 years and younger, au pairs, and exchange students living with registrants are not considered guests. They may be registered under the standard household registration procedures.

a. House guests of registrants are admitted to the pool enclosure without the presence of the sponsoring registrant, provided that they have obtained a special registration card designed for guests, and the house guest is charged the usual fee on a guest card purchased by a registrant.

b. House guests must sign in as guests, noting the registrant's name in the registrant's column.

a. House sitters do not pay a guest fee if they have a standard registration card.

b. House sitters' registration cards may only be on file at the pool during the period of absence of the registrants in whose home they are temporarily residing.

a.     Do not pay a guest fee, provided they are at the pool solely for the purpose of caring for a registrant's children.

b.     Who are on the family's registration card must sign in as guests, noting the child's name in the registrant's column.

c.     Supervisors of children should provide maximum supervision. If children are in the water, the supervisor must accompany them or sit at poolside within a few feet of the children.

d.     When the Town Hall is not open to process a registration card before a sitter is scheduled to work, the resident may obtain the privilege of childcare providers for the sitter under the following conditions:

(1) The resident provides the pool manager on duty with written authorization (including the sitter's name) for the sitter to bring the resident's children to the pool for the day; and

(2) The sitter must provide pool staff with valid photo identification.

a. Large groups are fifteen or more people brought to the pool at one time by a registrant.

b. Large groups are permitted with the permission of pool management. Pool management must determine whether another large group is scheduled at that time, whether management can provide adequate supervision (lifeguards), and whether the large group will place an undue burden upon pool operations.

Pool management has the discretion to deny requests when it can not provide adequate supervision, when the large group places an undue burden upon pool operations, and when the addition of the large group to other large groups already requesting use of the pool will unduly interfere with the public enjoyment of the pool. In addition, the pool management may, at its discretion, deny requests when there is a raft night, movie night, swim team practice, or other similar public functions.

c.     Requests for attendance of a large group should be made to pool management at least one week in advance.

d.     Requests will be considered on a first come, first serve basis.

e.     Pool management will inform residents if other large groups have requested permission to use the pool or picnic grove at the same time, but it is not the responsibility of pool management to resolve scheduling conflicts.

f.      Requests for attendance of a large group are not ³reservations.² Pool management cannot guarantee use of picnic tables or other amenities.

g.     Residents sponsoring large group functions should be mindful that the pool and the picnic grove are community facilities and should anticipate that other residents will be using the pool and or picnic grove during any large group event. No more than three tables may be used by a large group.

a.     Each guest older than one year of age will be charged $2.00 per day, with re-entry privileges for that day.

b.     Residents may purchase guest cards for $10.00 each, payable by personal check. Cards are good for five admissions and do not expire.

c.     All purchases of guest cards and punches for admission are made at the pool front desk.

12. Private parties outside normal pool hours

13. Should the pool become overcrowded at any time, the pool manager may temporarily limit the number of guests admitted.

IX. RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT REGISTER

Residents who do not register for a pool season must identify themselves by presenting a driver's license or other identification or be brought by a registrant, and must present a guest card.

X. SWIM TEAM

2. At least one lane will be available for lap swimming during practice sessions. If the lane is in use by the swim team and a resident requests the lane, the swim team must cede that lane.

3. Occasionally the team will host four-hour meets on a weekday evening or on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Signs will be posted in the bathhouse from opening day about these meet days. During meets the pool will not be open for general swimming.

XI. SUSPENSION

1. Town Code Section 5-301(h) authorizes the Mayor or the Swimming Pool Chair to suspend for up to two months the privileges of any user who repeatedly violates pool rules, who trespasses, or who commits acts of vandalism at the pool. Each suspension may be appealed to the Town Council.

2. The pool manager may ban for up to three days any user who is violating any rule. This ban may be appealed to the Mayor.

Pool Rules [print MSWord version - last revised 7/05]