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April 29, 2019 <br />Jeff Carruesco <br />C/O San Joaquin County Environmental Health <br />1868 E. Hazelton Avenue <br />Stockton, CA 95205 <br />Re: Park West Homes Association No. 1 swimming pools <br />Dear Jeff: <br />Last September I was elected to the Board of Directors of our homeowners association. During one of our <br />meetings one of our attending homeowners was Michael Orr, He told us that our pools needed to be <br />reviewed for compliance with the many pool regulations that exist. I understand he has worked with you <br />and many other Department of Health officials and is very familiar with pool and spa legal requirements. <br />Based upon that comment I did a lot of research and downloaded a great deal of information, including <br />the poolcode.pdf. After reviewing the information I inspected our two swimming pools. They have Permits <br />PT0000923 (Pool 2), and PT0000911 (Pool 1). 1 also reviewed the Inspection Reports you supplied for <br />the years 2015 — 2018 to check if the noted compliance issues had been complied with. What I <br />discovered was very surprising and troubling. <br />I am very concerned about the current condition of our pool facilities, especially regarding user safety and <br />potential liability to our association. I discovered that our insurance policies could exclude claims arising <br />from our pool facilities if they are out of compliance with all codes. In our insurance applications it was <br />claimed that we met all codes. The policies also have an explicit exclusion for any claims related to <br />pathogens, microbes, and pollution. As you know, public pools have thousands of reports yearly to the <br />CDC of outbreaks related to those types of hazards. <br />While our pools are usually open for homeowner use for the summer months only, the pool facilities <br />themselves are used year round by some of our vendors, both for the bathrooms, and also by the pool <br />maintenance personnel. That means that people do go inside the enclosure several times per week. In <br />addition, people do sneak into our pool enclosures. As recently as April 17 this year three young males <br />had climbed over the fence on Pool 2 during the day and were swimming, even though it was not open. <br />Other times fences have been climbed and items stolen. <br />What I found during my reviews is very concerning: <br />1. The Inspection Reports and listed violations were not corrected for the most part, and some of the <br />same violations were noted again in following year(s). <br />2. That many major violations, including safety related, were not even noted in the inspection reports. <br />3. That there are many non-compliance issues both physically and operationally. <br />4. In 2018 there were two "active drowning" reports written up. One was directly linked to the lack of a <br />buoy/rope system at the 4'/' depth marker at Pool 1. Neither pool has dividing buoy systems between <br />the shallow end and deep end. <br />5. There is no designated pool supervisor. <br />With what I found in my inspections, and considering our insurance situation, the pool facilities need to be <br />corrected as soon as possible. Given the normal pool schedule is for opening the Memorial Day <br />Weekend, and major repairs require DEH approval before being done, the facilities should not be opened <br />until the facilities meet all codes.' They are currently planning on opening the pools on Memorial <br />Pool Supervision Responsibility. <br />(a) Every pool shall be under the supervision of a person who is fully capable of, and shall assume <br />responsibility for compliance with all requirements relating to pool operation, maintenance, and safety <br />of bathers'. <br />(b) No pools shall be used or available for use unless all of the requirements of subsection (a) and the <br />following are complied with: <br />(1) Routine (e.g., daily and weekly) operating procedures shall be permanently posted in a location <br />accessible to and frequented by the operator. <br />(2) Manufacturers' instructions for operation and maintenance of mechanical and electrical <br />equipment shall be kept available for the operator. <br />