Playwell Pools Inc.

Commercial | Compliance

VGB drain safety for commercial and community pools

Federal law and Florida law both require anti-entrapment drain covers on public pools, and the federal definition of a public pool reaches HOA, condo and apartment pools as well as hotels and public facilities.

General information, not legal advice Checked against federal statute, CPSC and Florida Statutes sources, October 21, 2026.

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Which pools are covered

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 8003) treats a pool or spa as public if it is:

  • Open to the public generally, free or for a fee.
  • Open only to members of an organization and their guests.
  • Open only to residents of a multi-unit apartment building, apartment complex, residential real estate development or other multi-family residential area. This is where HOA, condo and apartment pools come in.
  • Open only to patrons of a hotel or other public accommodation.
  • Operated by or for the federal government for service members, federal employees and their dependents.

What the federal law requires

  • Every drain cover meets the entrapment protection standard ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 or a successor standard. The CPSC's April 2024 letter names ANSI/APSP-16 2017 as the standard public pool drain covers must meet.
  • A pool or spa with a single main drain, other than an unblockable drain, also has at least one of the systems listed here.
  • The CPSC also calls for a second system where drains on the same plane are less than three feet apart.

What to check on your pool

The CPSC's checklist for public pool and spa drain covers starts with these items:

  • A certificate showing each cover, including covers on skimmer equalizer lines, meets ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 2007 or the successor standard. Field-fabricated covers need a certification from a professional engineer or registered design professional.
  • A required marking stamped on each cover: the standard, VGB 2008 or the year of the successor standard, the swimmer logo, or a combination.
  • The expiration date on the cover. The CPSC recommends replacing covers past that date.
  • Whether the pool has a single blockable main drain, or drains on the same plane less than three feet apart, and if so a working secondary system.

What Florida law adds

Under s. 514.0315, F.S.:

  • A public pool or spa has an anti-entrapment system or device that meets ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 or a successor standard.
  • A pool built before January 1, 1993 with a single main drain other than an unblockable drain has at least one additional feature: safety vacuum release, suction-limiting vent, gravity drainage with a collector tank, automatic pump shut-off, or drain disablement.
  • The choice of feature is the owner's or operator's, and a licensed pool contractor installs it.
  • Small HOA pools otherwise exempt from state pool rules remain subject to this section (s. 514.0115(3), F.S.).

When drain covers, sumps or other anti-entrapment parts are replaced, the Department of Health's resurfacing notice asks for a completed form DH 4157.

Related: Florida public pool permits, renovation and resurfacing, and HOA and condo pools.

Common questions

Does the Virginia Graeme Baker Act apply to HOA, condo and apartment pools?

Yes. The Act defines a public pool and spa to include one open only to residents of a multi-unit apartment building, apartment complex, residential real estate development or other multi-family residential area, as well as pools open to the public, to members of an organization and their guests, and to patrons of a hotel or other public accommodation (15 U.S.C. 8003). General information, not legal advice.

What drain covers are required on a public pool?

Every drain cover on a public pool or spa must meet the federal entrapment protection standard: ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 or a successor standard. In its April 2024 reminder letter, the CPSC states that public pools and spas, including hotels, motels and apartment complexes, must have ANSI/APSP-16 2017 compliant drain covers installed.

When is a second anti-entrapment system required?

Under the Act, a public pool or spa with a single main drain other than an unblockable drain needs at least one additional system: a safety vacuum release system, a suction-limiting vent system, a gravity drainage system, an automatic pump shut-off, a drain disablement device, or another system the CPSC finds equally effective. The CPSC also calls for a second system where drains on the same plane are less than three feet apart.

Do drain covers expire?

Covers are marked with an expiration date. The CPSC recommends replacing drain covers that have passed the expiration date on the cover, even if they were compliant when installed.

What does Florida law add?

Section 514.0315, F.S., requires public pools and spas to have an anti-entrapment system or device that meets ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 or a successor standard, requires pools built before January 1, 1993 with a single main drain other than an unblockable drain to have an additional protective feature, leaves the choice of feature to the owner or operator, and requires a licensed pool contractor to install it. When drain covers, sumps or other anti-entrapment parts are replaced, the Department of Health asks for form DH 4157.

Do small HOA pools that are exempt from state pool rules still have to comply?

Yes for the anti-entrapment statute. Section 514.0115(3), F.S., keeps HOA pools serving 32 units or parcels or fewer subject to water quality supervision and to s. 514.0315, even though they are otherwise exempt. The federal Act also covers pools open only to residents of residential developments.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Primary sources checked October 21, 2026. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the agency or your attorney before relying on them.

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