Public Pools and Water Attractions

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Ladder leading into pool with lane lines.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New changes to the WI Pool code have gone into effect as of September 2023. All operators should have received an email with these updates. If you are a current pool operator and did not receive this email please click here. All of the updates to the code will be discussed during routine inspection.

What is a water attraction?

“Pool and water attraction area” means, in an indoor or outdoor facility, the pool or water attraction and the area within a continuous enclosure.

“Pool or water attraction” means a public pool or water attraction if it serves or is installed for use by the state, a political subdivision of the state, a motel, a hotel, a resort, a camp, a campground, a club, an association, a housing development, an apartment complex with 3 or more dwelling units, a condominium complex, or a housing complex having a homeowners' association, a school, a religious, charitable or youth organization, or an educational or rehabilitative facility.

This includes slides, whirlpools, padwalks, lazy rivers, etc.

A pool or water attraction is not a public pool if it serves fewer than three individual residences, unless it is used on a regular basis by persons other than the residents.

Wisconsin requires a public pool, water attraction, or whirlpool to be licensed and inspected.

Inspection Look Up

We license and inspect around 80 public indoor and outdoor swimming pools and water attractions to make sure that you and your family are safe while visiting these locations.

Our authority to complete this comes from the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Sheboygan county is an agent of DATCP which provides us with the jurisdiction to license and inspect public pools for safety. If you are ever interested in seeing how your favorite pool handles safety, you can look up the health inspection report by clicking the button below.

Licensing Logistics

Licenses are valid each year from July 1 to June 30. Each license we issue expires on June 30. Licenses issued after April 1 will be valid until June 30 of the following year.

Every year an annual routine inspection will be completed for all licensed establishments.

A license is only good for the person and the location the license was issued to.
LICENSES ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE. This means that if you change ownership you will need to obtain a pool license under the new owner.

Example of a license, permit, or registration from Sheboygan County.

New Pool or Change of Ownership

To apply for a pool license please fill out the application and send it into environmental.health@sheboygancounty.com or mail it to our office. Directions are at the bottom of the application. An assigned sanitarian will help assist you in the process after the application has been obtained.

You can identify what category you are in by reviewing the Complexity Category Calculator. If you have questions about calculating your complexity please contact our office at (920) 459-3207.

Please be aware that before our department can license a new pool, or a newly remodeled pool, we will need to have documentation from DSPS that the pool has passed their inspection.

Questions and Resources

Do you have questions about your pool or a public pool in Sheboygan County? Contact us at environmental.health@sheboygancounty.com

Additional Resources

To see Approved Lifeguard Courses visit the DATCP website

Fact Sheets and Guides

Approved Pool Water Test Kits

Water Quality Standards Fact Sheet

Virginia Graeme Baker Act (VGBA Drain Cover Fact Sheet)

Pool Chemical Safety Fact Sheet

Safeguards for Public Pools to Prevent Chemical Release Events

CDC: Healthy Swimming - Fecal Incident Response Recommendations for Aquatic Staff

CDC: Guidelines for Vomit and Blood in the Pool

CDC: Cleaning Up Body Fluid Spills on Pool Surfaces

Guidance for Dog Swim Events

The Aquatic Council

Variance Form

Q&A ADA Accessibility Requirements For more information about accessibility requirements, please call an ADA Specialist, at the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice); 800-514-0383 (TTY). Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM (Eastern Time), except on Thursday when the hours are 12:30 PM until 5:30 PM.

4/2/2025

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