Bathing Beaches - Compliance with 105 CMR 445.000: Minimum Standards for Bathing Beaches

(State Sanitary Code, Chapter VII), Required (A) Bathing Beaches. Bathing and swimming shall not be permitted at any bathing beach located in Massachusetts which: (1) does not meet the requirements of 105 CMR 445.000: Minimum Standards for Bathing Beaches (State Sanitary Code, Chapter VII); or (2) has limited water visibility when a black secchi disk, six inches in diameter, on a white field placed at a depth of at least four feet of water is not readily visible from the surface of the water; or when, under normal usage, such disk is not readily visible from the surface of the water when placed on the bottom where the depth is less than four feet. (B) Diving Areas. (1) There shall be a minimum water depth of ten feet for a one meter diving board and 12 feet for a three-meter diving board. (2) For natural diving areas, the bottom shall be cleared of stumps, rocks, weeds and other obstacles. 105 CMR - 1742.2 (3) Diving boards shall be mounted on a firm foundation and never on an insecure base that can be affected by shifting weight loads and wave action. The entire length of the toe surface of diving boards shall be covered with non-skid material. The front end of the board shall project at least six feet beyond the edge of the pool or dock. Clearance from the sides of the board shall be at least ten feet, the distance between diving boards shall be at least eight feet, and at least 13 feet of free and unobstructed head room shall be provided above all divingboards and platforms. (4) There shall be an adequate number of stairs or ladders for all diving towers, platforms, and flats. All stairs and ladders shall be provided with a handrail. Treads of stairs and ladders shall be of nonslip material. (C) Required Safety Equipment. For each 2000 square feet or major fraction thereof of water surface area used for bathing, the owner shall provide, in a readily accessible location, one U.S. Coast Guard approved ring buoy, with a minimum inside diameter of 15 inches, weighing 2½ pounds and with an attached ¼ inch rope no less than 60 feet in length. All swimming pools and man-made swimming areas shall have at least one safety hook with a minimum handle length of 12 feet.