New rules governing inflatable swimming pools in several communities have left some residents who just want to cool off feeling pretty hot.
The issue centers on a new type of above-ground pool - a jumbo-sized version of the traditional backyard kiddie pool - that has popped up throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan because of its attractive price and easy installation.
While child-wading pools holding several inches of water still remain exempt from most community swimming pool regulations, some inflatable models come with a filter pump and ladder and can stand up to four feet high. These versions rival the size of some permanent pools, and a number of local governments have amended their permit and fencing regulations to deal with them.
"Those larger inflatable pools are something that's new. I haven't seen them until this year," said Grant Garn, zoning inspector for Perrysburg Township.
"There is a problem with these newer inflatable pools where they're sliding through a little gray area in the zoning codes," Wauseon code Administrator Tom Hall said.
The Blade contacted 21 area communities that require swimming pool owners to hold a permit for any above-ground pool that measures 100 square feet or more with exterior walls exceeding heights of 18 to 24 inches. Authorities from those areas throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan said they treat inflatable pools of the same size under the same rules.
Because they're temporary, many residents don't think they need permits for the pools, some officials said.
Perrysburg Township has granted about a half dozen permits this summer - none of which was for inflatable pools.
"People don't think about calling to get permits for inflatable pools, because they still think of them as wading pools," Mr. Garn said.
Woodville zoning Inspector Bill Rowles agreed that the larger portable pools shouldn't be excluded from safety regulations and said he has had to inform many residents of the village's rules.
"In most cases, they bought a pool and later found out the requirement for a permit and fence," Mr. Rowles said. "It's always a shock."
In Rossford, though, 22 out of the 34 pool permits granted so far this year were for inflatable pools, city Administrator Ed Ciecka said.
Officials from several governments, including Rossford, Toledo, and Walbridge, said their permits are one-time costs that can be renewed free in subsequent years as long as the same pool is put up in the same location.
Only Archbold, Elmore, Fayette, and Ottawa Hills do not specifically address the inflatable swimming pools in their regulations. Above-ground pools are not permitted in Ottawa Hills, and authorities from the three villages said they plan to amend local ordinances to spell out new requirements because of safety concerns.
Rossford resident Michael Okapal, 45, said he bought an inflatable pool that's 25 inches deep on sale for $180 at Wal-Mart to use last summer. But he was informed this summer that he had to pay the city $75 to use the same pool because Rossford changed its zoning code last fall to include the temporary pools.
"I was not happy, but what do you do?" he said. "You either rip it up into small pieces or you get a permit, but I think it was excessive."
Northwood resident Jeff Duling, 52, said he bought his portable pool at Wal-Mart for $50 in an attempt to stay cool during the hot and muggy summer months after his air conditioner broke. But he wasn't banking on the city sending him a letter informing him he was required to pay $25 for a pool permit.
"The permit costs half the price of the pool. I think it's too much and it's ridiculous," he said, adding that he packed up his pool, which is only two feet deep. "It's only big enough to sit in - a bitty baby pool."
That much water is more than enough to have the potential to drown a child, said Dr. Eugene Izsak, pediatric emergency medicine physician at Toledo Children's Hospital.
Dr. Izsak said he knows of children who have drowned in things as small as buckets, toilets, bathtubs, or wading pools.
"Any amount of water puts a young child at risk for drowning," he said. "How many inches do you need to lay down and cover your nose and mouth?"
Drowning is the second-leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Permits help keep track of inflatable pools to ensure they're properly installed and placed in a safe area away from power lines, Oregon zoning Inspector Mike Rudey said.
Matthew MacQuinsten of Temperance said he feels that those who buy inflatable pools should not be exempt from having to obtain the same type of permit he was required to buy this summer for his in-ground pool.
"Some of those inflatable pools are the same size as the liner pools I grew up with, and I don't see any other difference other than the convenience of setting them up," he said.
In addition to permits, most local governments require fencing between 42 and 72 inches in height either around the inflatable pools or around the yard where the pool is located, and some specifically state the fences must have locking mechanisms.
Still, other places, such as Bedford, Perrysburg, and Springfield townships, do not require fencing around inflatable pools as long as the pool is at least four feet high and has a removable ladder or one that locks in place.
But Dr. Izsak warned that fences and locks do not equal safety that's foolproof.
"You can't rely on fences or any kind of electronic gizmo to make a pool safe," he said. "There's only one thing that makes a pool safe, and that's supervision."
Blade staff writers Meghan Gilbert, Mike Jones, Janet Romaker, Jane Schmucker, and Rachel Zinn contributed to this report.
Contact Erika Ray at: eray@theblade.com or 419-724-6088.
First Published August 14, 2005, 3:26 p.m.