CDC Releases First Model Aquatic Health Code

The Centers for Disease Control have released the first Model Aquatic Health Code, a voluntary set of measures created to improve swimmer health and safety in aquatic facilities. 

The MAHC was created over the course of seven years by 12 technical committees and 140 people, with additional input from scientists, public health officials, academic experts and industry pros. The result is a comprehensive text of more than 300 pages that outline a set of best practices for designing, building, operating and maintaining public pools and other aquatic facilities. In addition to keeping swimmers safe by preventing drowning, illness and injury, these measures were created to improve minimum standards, reduce violations and keep pools open year-round. 

As the code is voluntary and not a federal law, local ordinances may look to it as a resource to better improve their own aquatic codes by either implementing pieces of the MAHC or adopting the code in its entirety. It will be updated in two-year intervals. 

Check out the first MAHC here. Or, click here to see a fun infographic that explains how the MAHC was developed.