New Rules Give Summer a Slow Start at Some Pools

Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start of swimming season, but not every pool was ready for swimmers to take the plunge.

Going into the weekend, Doug Fox said he expected only four of the seven outdoor swim centers that he oversees for the Montgomery County government to be completely operational, and for good reason: He has spent recent weeks working to bring them in line with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.

The new law is named after former secretary of state James Baker's granddaughter, who died in 2002 after being pinned to the bottom of a hot tub by the suction force of the drain.

"To give you a sense of how much force this is, two grown men tried to pull Graeme Baker off that spa drain and couldn't get her off," says Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson.

Pool managers must install new anti-entrapment filters, which are domed and have a very tight weave so that hair, jewelry, toes and swimsuits can't get caught. Parents can ask managers if pools are in compliance with the new law, or check for the new covers themselves. "They look more like a cover and less like a grate," Wolfson says.

Fox drained and cleaned his outdoor pools in March, giving him his first opportunity to measure the drains and order new filters. Some of his drains were 24 inches square, which meant he needed custom-made parts: "It's like going into a shoe store and asking for a size 20," he says. Some of the filters have not yet arrived.

Fox is happy to make the repairs; he just hopes his customers will be understanding if they're unable to dive into their favorite pool right away.

"We don't want to lose sight of what this is all about," Wolfson says. "We're addressing preventable tragedies."

-- Rachel Saslow